SL Agritech, the pioneer in research, development and production of hybrid rice seeds in the Philippines, introduces the next generation of leaders who will continue to strengthen the company’s legacy in pushing for rice self-sufficiency and a holistic agricultural recovery in the country.
As the leader of the group and the successor of SL Agritech chief executive Henry Lim Bon Liong, Michelle Lim-Gankee now serves as the executive vice president and is in charge of the company as a whole.
As the company’s EVP with more than 11 years of experience, Michelle has been actively involved in the research and development of hybrid seed technology, ensuring that SL Agritech’s tradition and their family’s legacy of assisting regional farmers is carried on.
Contrary to what many people think, Michelle always had a simple childhood. This motivated her more than ever to reach out to vulnerable communities and look for methods to help them lead comfortable lives.
She has led the company’s Masaganang Ani 300 program—a project that enabled farmers to produce more than three times as much through hybrid seeds and so double their revenue. Michelle has encountered several farmers whose lives have drastically improved as a result of this initiative.
“The use of hybrid seed technology means providing our farmers and the Filipino people a fighting chance to attain rice sufficiency. Through our current hybrid seed varieties which include the SL-8H, SL-19H, SL-20H, and SL-68H, we continue to improve our research and development capabilities in quest of more high-yielding seed varieties that will aid in the production of rice and improve the livelihood of our farmers today,” she says.
Rice farmers
The third generation of leadership is also composed of SL Agritech Corp. EVP for operations Brian Lim. Growing up aware of the ins and outs of the business, Brian Lim also had his fair share of achievements in leading the corporation to where it is today.
Brian is a strong advocate of the development of hybrid rice technology to ensure the prosperity and security of our nation’s food supply. He oversees operations and assures the quality of rice and seeds exported to both domestic and foreign markets. He is in charge of the entire end-to-end process as well as labor activities at the facility.
Beyond his passion for agriculture, Brian finds ways to give back to the community by continuously opening up avenues to expand contract growing sites. Earlier this year, Brian helped the company pursue its plant expansion. The company’s efforts have reached Laguna, Nueva Ecija,
Tarlac and Mindoro. Through this initiative, the company can continue to provide employment opportunities to the agri-sector and simultaneously help more farming communities.
Health champion
Completing the list of leaders is Tiffany Lim-Ngo, the marketing director of SL Agritech. Tiffany championed CSR programs that helped develop marginalized farming communities into highly progressive ones. One of the most notable campaigns she leads is the “Balik-Biyaya” program—an ongoing project that provides feeding programs and rice donations to farmers, fishermen, community pantries, and hospitals across the country.
Tiffany champions a democratic style of leadership amongst her employees. She is always open to hearing her team’s inputs before making significant decisions on relevant company movements. As marketing director, she also ensures that SL Agritech’s products are positioned effectively in the market through various media channels and campaigns such as the launch of a Brown Rice tapping Gary Valenciano as an ambassador to help increase awareness of its health benefits.
Additionally, she also looks for opportunities to introduce new rice products in the market such as the newly-launched Dona Maria Brown Rice Puffs and the ready-to-eat, easy-to-cook champorado and pancake mix from Dona Maria Creations.
Bringing in a new perspective in leading SL Agritech, Michelle, Brian and Tiffany are ready to take on different challenges in order to help the current agricultural landscape of the country. They have embodied lessons from experiences and from their predecessor in order to provide sound and substantial contributions that will continuously improve the sector.
Circling back to the company’s core, the team is bound to spearhead holistic innovations through their R&D efforts in order to boost the local rice production through high-yielding seed varieties.
“The future of the Philippines relies on the future of our agricultural technology. I am proud of the next generation of leaders who can push for positive contributions to the agri industry,” says SL Agritech CEO Henry Lim Bon Liong.