Philippines ā€“ Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a real estate development company in the Philippines, has appointed Maria Socorro Isabelle ā€˜Mybelleā€™ Aragon-GoBio as its president and chief executive officer, effective on February 1, 2025.

The appointment comes after Lance Gokongwei, currently the chairman of RLC, stepped down as president and CEO, which he has held since January 8, 2024.

Aragon-GoBioā€™s appointment marks her as the first female president and CEO of RLC, reflecting the companyā€™s commitment to inclusivity, progressive leadership, and meritocracy.

Having first joined RLC in 1993, Aragon-GoBio has over 30 years of experience in the industry and has held leadership positions in logistics, residential and office developments, and mixed-use estates.

Aragon-GoBio has significantly contributed to RLC, having served as president and CEO of Robinsons Logistix and Industrials and leading project developments as senior vice president of Robinsons Destination Estates.

In her early career at RLC, she helped establish the companyā€™s High-Rise Buildings Division and increase revenue through condominium and office projects. 

Additionally, Aragon-GoBio spearheaded the launch of various residential brands, forged partnerships, and contributed to projects with government institutions.

Aragon-GoBio is also currently the director of Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation and Altus Property Ventures.

ā€œMs. Aragon-GoBio brings with her a wealth of experience, deep industry expertise, and a forward-thinking vision that will drive Robinsons Land Corporation into a new chapter of growth and innovation. Her steadfast commitment to operational excellence, customer-centricity, agile approach and sustainable development will undoubtedly strengthen RLCā€™s market leadership and create long-term value for all stakeholders,ā€ RLCā€™s Board of Directors expressed in a press release.

Philippines ā€“ RLC Residences, the residential arm of Robinsons Land, has partnered with Salesforce, supported by Appistoki, to drive its digital transformation and enhance customer experience through AI-powered, data-driven solutions.

Through this partnership, RLC Residences will harness the combined expertise of Salesforce and Appistoki to streamline operations and elevate the customer experience. By integrating Salesforceā€™s Data Cloud, Customer 360, and AI technology (Einstein), along with Appistokiā€™s digital infrastructure, RLC Residences will enhance its customer-focused approach, creating seamless, personalised journeys for homebuyers, owners, and investors at every touchpoint.

ā€œThis partnership started with one vision in our mindsā€”delivering a customer-first approach across all touchpoints, ensuring that every encounterā€”from the first inquiry to long after move-inā€”is a delightful experience,ā€ said Chad Sotelo, SVP and business unit general manager of RLC Residences and chief marketing officer of Robinsons Land. 

ā€œThis partnership with Salesforce and Appistoki brings us closer to our vision of creating homes and experiences that resonate deeply with todayā€™s discerning homebuyers,ā€ he added. 

RLC Residences will use Data Cloud to unify customer data in real time, enabling personalised experiences, real-time analytics, and data-driven actions. This integration will also power AI across all Salesforce applications, enhancing overall efficiency and personalisation.

This approach ensures seamless and memorable interactions at every stage, from inquiry to after-sales support. By anticipating needs and addressing pain points, RLC Residences enhances customer satisfaction and delivers a more personalised, efficient homeownership experience. This commitment to innovation positions the brand to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

Speaking on the partnership, Sujith Abraham, senior vice president and general manager at Salesforce ASEAN, stated, ā€œRLC Residences is redefining the residential property market through elevating their customer experience with the power of the Salesforce Platform.ā€ 

ā€œRLC Residences is using our data meshing capability to unify their customer data across Salesforce and other data sources, through zero copy, to build a more unified view of their customer. This sets the foundation for personalised journeys at scale underpinned by AI. We look forward to a close partnership with RLC Residences on their customer-centric transformation journey,ā€ Abraham further explained. 

ā€œRLC Residencesā€™ leadership team has a clear vision on how it wants to elevate the customer experience at every moment. Our firm has been fortunate to experience the amazing innovation in the Salesforce ecosystem with data cloud and AI. We are excited to play our part and see it take shape at RLC Residences. We look forward to making this initiative a landmark project in the industry,ā€ Abhijeet Kulkarni, co-founder and CEO of Appistoki, added. 

This digital transformation will improve customer satisfaction, streamline operations, and cut costs. By automating processes and integrating data, RLC Residences expects faster service and stronger brand loyalty. With Salesforceā€™s technology, it is future-proofing operations to meet rising customer expectations and deliver greater value.

Philippines ā€“Ā After dedicating two and a half years to the company, John Richard (Chad) Sotelo announced he had been appointed as the inaugural chief marketing officer of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC).Ā This is concurrent with his role as senior vice president and business unit general manager for RLC Residences.

In a recent exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Sotelo unveiled his strategic vision to unlock added value for the business by embracing customer-centricity. He emphasised the importance of delving deeper into understanding their customers’ needs and preferences.

According to Sotelo, understanding customers on a deeper level is a fundamental aspect of marketing, and he is committed to making sure that every marketer in the RLC becomes an expert on it. 

Among the things heā€™s looking forward to prioritising in his new role are maintaining constant and meaningful conversations with customers, handling customer data with the utmost respect for privacy, deriving insights into customer behaviour from consented information, and ensuring that data is treated as actionable insights that flow to the right people at the right time rather than staying as mere statistics.

ā€œThere are a lot of untapped opportunities for RLC when we look at things from the customers’ perspective: how they experience each business and how we can improve that by having the different business units work closer together. There’s also tremendous value to be unlocked as we take a step back and look at how RLC can work with the other business units in the Gokongwei Group,ā€ Sotelo told MARKETECH APAC

Reflections on the leadership journey at RLC 

For Sotelo, the last two and a half years have been an eye-opening experience, having to work on and ultimately learn a new industry that is different from his previous ones.Ā 

Before joining RLC, Sotelo was working in various industries, including consumer electronics, beauty, and FMCG. Having to transition from these industries to real estate and property development, he considers his journey with RLC to be one that is ā€˜delightfulā€™ and ā€˜educationalā€™. 

He shared, ā€œA lot of my reflections have been from the point-of-view of an ā€˜outsiderā€™ to the industry, yet as a ‘veteranā€™ of using the industry’s product. One thing that really stands out for me is how growth-oriented the industry is, yet the knowledge of the customer is still not as deep as it can be. I’m very excited about how RLC can get even better once it gets to be an expert at knowing its customers, getting insights from this knowledge, and translating those insights into action that brings more value to the customer, hopefully in a unique and differentiated way.ā€ 

Navigating the challenges of real estate marketing in the Philippines 

Sotelo believes that real estate brands are currently facing the challenge of maintaining their relevance to customers, a trend he sees will continue for the next two to three years from now. 

Looking at the current economic climate, inflation remains elevated and is showing no signs of decline yet. High banking interest rates also persist. Furthermore, emerging from a recent pandemic has left many feeling uncertain, impacting confidence levels worldwide. These factors are posing challenges to the real estate industry locally and globally. 

According to him, the real estate sectors continue to face distinct hurdles: commercial properties grapple with the shift towards remote work, while hotels, resorts, and malls benefit from a resurgence in tourism. Although residential real estate shows signs of recovery, it has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Nonetheless, Sotelo is determined to face these challenges as he steps into his new role. He underscored the importance of focusing on giving customers options that will serve their current needs, something that RLC will be focusing their attention on with Sotelo now heading their marketing strategies. 

ā€œRLC is a well-diversified real estate company, and we will continue to offer customers a broad portfolio of choices that hopefully should cater to their needs. As of YTD (year to date) September 2023, all of our business units were doing extremely well and growing at a fast pace,ā€ Sotelo stated. 

In his LinkedIn post, Sotelo also shared, ā€œ[I am] proud and honoured to be appointed as the first ever Chief Marketing Officer of Robinsons Land Corporation, concurrent to my current role in leading the RLC Residences division. I get to put back on my marketing geek hat! To say I’m excited is an understatement! Thank you, Sir Lance Gokongwei, for the trust! ā€