Teresa David-Carlos’ exceptional results in handling the family business are driven by relentless focus on non-negotiable pillars. One is taking care of her people.
“I believe in hiring good people and helping them improve professionally and personally. We heavily invest in trainings because it’s one of the best ways to mold efficient employees,” she said.
“I also give them my vision and direction, and then allow them the flexibility to lead and show their own expertise as they evolve as a leader themselves,” she added.
David-Carlos serves as the president and chairman of the House of David Group (HDG) and its six subsidiaries: Bank of Florida (BOF), House of David Realty and Development Corporation (HDRDC), Mary the Queen College of Pampanga, Inc. (MQCP), D.A. Market Securities, Inc. (DMSI), House of David Investment and Management Corporation (HDIMC), and House of David Foundation, Inc. (HDFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of HDG.
A second generation David, banker, certified public accountant, and the eldest among the seven David children, she took the helm of the family business when she was appointed as the BOF’s board of director in 1982.
With her full-time involvement in the bank’s operations as executive vice-president two years later and as president in 1987, the bank saw itself steadily fortifying its financial foundation and expanding its network to realize its mandate to assist small and medium entrepreneurs in the countryside. To date, BOF is lauded as one of Central Luzon’s leading rural bank.
The whole HDG, on the other hand, with the unparalleled leadership of David-Carlos, has recently achieved one of its most notable successes in past 25 years, when it was recognized by the Ateneo Family Business Development Center (AFBDC) as one of the outstanding business families in the country.
“We are really humbled and proud that we were chosen, out of the 200 business families that were part of the AFBDC, as one of the top 10 awardees of the Family Business Awards held just last April,” she noted.
“The awards recognize the best family businesses that have done well in their businesses while keeping harmony in the family. Also part of the criteria were the best practices in professionalizing the family business as well as the company’s contribution to the society, which I believe, modesty aside, we have exemplified through the years,” she added.
David-Carlos then shared that HDFI continues to help the community by relevant initiatives and significant programs. For the past years, it has donated and funded numerous projects to charitable institutions, churches, and schools. Last 2016, the foundation was able to build a total of 4 classroom buildings in Lubao and City of San Fernando.
Meanwhile, the matriarch relayed that MQCP since its inception in 2003, has provided more than 3,000 scholarship grants to underprivileged but deserving students.
She noted that these projects and community assistance serve as the legacy of the House of David Family to the province of Pampanga, as well as the family’s way of remaining true to their rural roots.
“Because aside from all the hardwork that we have poured onto the institution, the perseverance, the corporate governance and the professionalism we continuously uphold in the business organization, our kabalens are also one of the main reason why we have reached this far, thus we are committed to give back,” she said.
In addition to her recent feats as a leading Kapampangan businesswoman, is opening her own wellness center, the Mont Albo Massage Hut.
She shared that she ventured into the said franchise business as she aims to uplift the health of her kababayans by offering traditional wellness services that capitalizes on traditional Filipino ‘hilot’. The Mont Albo Massage Hut is the only Filipino-inspired spa in the Philippines that is a member of the renowned International Spa Association.
Aside from leading a successful career, chairing the Pampanga SME Development Council, and serving as one of the board of directors of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., David-Carlos shared that she is also a fulfilled mother of four, of which she also takes time to mold as an entrepreneur themselves.
“Outside of my day job, I am busy assisting my children as they explore business opportunities on their own. My one and only advice for them, and what I also tell aspiring businessmen, is that when you plan on putting up a business, it has to be your passion. And then, pour some dedication into it and I am sure it will thrive,” she noted.