UNCHARTED 2026: Leadership Beyond Titles at the MAP-SGV NextGen Conference
Nov 13, 2026 · Springboard Philippines · 4 min read
Leadership rarely arrives with a complete set of instructions. Sometimes it begins with an unfamiliar responsibility, a difficult decision, or an opportunity that falls outside the career we imagined.
That was the central challenge explored at UNCHARTED: Leading Beyond Borders, Titles, and Traditional Paths, the MAP-SGV 7th NextGen Conference, held on October 26, 2026, at SPACE at One Ayala in Makati City. The Management Association of the Philippines and SGV & Co. brought together perspectives from business, technology, public service, sport, and the creative industries to examine how people lead through uncertainty. (Official event page)
As a marketing partner, Springboard Philippines supported a conversation closely connected to our work: helping Filipino talent find opportunities, develop capability, and contribute beyond conventional expectations.
Leading when there is no established path
Timor-Leste President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta delivered a virtual keynote calling on young Southeast Asian leaders to lead with courage, humility, and integrity. His experience brought the conference’s theme into the context of public service and nation-building. (Official presidential recap)
For business leaders, those qualities translate into everyday responsibilities. Courage means making a considered decision despite incomplete information. Humility means listening to people whose experience differs from our own. Integrity means remaining accountable when a decision becomes difficult to defend or deliver.
Together, they offer a useful foundation for organizations navigating unfamiliar markets, emerging technologies, and changing expectations of work.
Beyond borders: adapting while building trust
The discussion on interconnected markets brought together Olivier Cotard of 3C Ventures, Ryna Brito-Garcia of Sunlight Air, Willix Halim of Canva Southeast Asia, and Anne Kim of Alphavita Capital.
Post-event reporting highlighted Cotard’s warning against stubbornness during market pivots and Halim’s emphasis on decisiveness, speed, and timing. Brito-Garcia reflected on building an airline without prior industry experience, while Kim discussed investments in healthcare and education that develop human capability across Asia. (Conference coverage)
Our takeaway is that growth requires both conviction and a willingness to revise assumptions. A clear objective gives a team direction; feedback helps it decide whether the current approach still works.
For Filipino businesses pursuing regional or global opportunities, this also raises a practical question: are we preparing people to understand different markets and work across cultures, or simply expecting them to adapt after deployment?
Beyond titles: recognizing leadership in the work
Another panel featured Cosette Canilao of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Kylee Avante of AiDus International, Tony Lambino of Ayala Foundation, and wushu champion and medical student Agatha Wong.
Their experiences challenged familiar assumptions about seniority and career progression. Avante discussed perceptions of age and leadership. Lambino reflected on the value of excellent work across career transitions, while Canilao emphasized integrity and transparency. (Conference coverage)
For employers, the implication is straightforward: pay attention to how people contribute before deciding what they are capable of becoming.
The colleague who improves a process, helps others solve a problem, or takes responsibility during a difficult project may already be demonstrating leadership. Recognizing that contribution is the first step. Giving that person appropriate responsibility, guidance, and room to learn is what helps it develop.
From personal success to shared opportunity
In conversation with Dr. Karen Remo, Apl.de.Ap connected his upbringing in Pampanga with his commitment to giving back. His discussion highlighted the importance of bringing together people with the expertise to turn a community vision into action. (Conference coverage)
That perspective resonates with Springboard’s mission to bring Filipino talent to global communities and industries. Opportunity becomes more meaningful when it also creates pathways for others—through employment, mentorship, education, or access to work that develops their skills. (About Springboard Philippines)
An individual’s progress can have a wider effect when knowledge is shared and others are given the chance to contribute.
What we carry forward
For Springboard Philippines, UNCHARTED reinforces the importance of connecting talent with responsibility and support.
In practice, that means giving emerging leaders a defined problem to own, setting clear expectations, and making experienced colleagues available when they need guidance. It means valuing transferable skills when someone enters a new industry. It also means building teams whose different strengths work toward a shared result.
Our preparations for the conference—from campaign planning and content coordination to developing speaker and leadership storytelling materials—kept returning to the same question: what makes these conversations useful to the people we want to reach?
After the event, that question becomes more concrete. What will we change in how we hire, develop teams, collaborate, and make decisions?
Springboard Philippines thanks MAP, SGV & Co., the NextGen organizing team, speakers, and fellow partners for bringing these perspectives together. We look forward to carrying the conversation into our work with Filipino talent and the organizations they help build.
Watch the UNCHARTED 2026 conference recording on MAP Talks, and explore more perspectives on people, technology, and business through Springboard’s News & Insights.
