Why Loida Nicolas Lewis is someone to look up to
They rose. They lifted others.
A global business leader, lawyer, and philanthropist who used success not only to rise, but to expand opportunity for Filipinos here and abroad.
She Rose To The Top - And Helped Others Rise With Her.
What does it mean to be truly successful?
Is it wealth?
A powerful position?
International recognition?
For Loida Nicolas Lewis, perhaps the better measure is this:
What did you do with your success?
Born in Sorsogon, Loida Nicolas Lewis became a lawyer and eventually reached the highest levels of international business.
Following the death of her husband, American businessman Reginald F. Lewis, she became Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice International, a multinational food company with approximately $2 billion in revenues and operations across Europe.
She stepped into a world in which many doubted her.
She responded by leading.
She sold assets, reduced debt and corporate overhead, increased earnings, and successfully ran the company until its businesses were sold in 2000.
But this is not simply a story about a Filipina who became extraordinarily successful abroad.
It is also a story about giving back.
She Invested In Education.
Loida founded The Lewis College in Sorsogon, bringing quality education to the province where she grew up.
Her philosophy was simple and powerful: education provides a way out of poverty.
She Gave Back To Her Alma Mater.
In 1989, Loida and Reginald Lewis donated ₱2.1 million to the University of the Philippines to establish scholarships and a professorial chair in honor of her father, Francisco J. Nicolas.
UP President Jose V. Abueva wrote that it was, at the time, the largest donation the University had ever received from an individual donor.
She Used Her Voice For Her Community.
She became one of the founders of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), helped establish the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and became involved in Filipino-American civic advocacy.
And She Continued A Legacy Of Philanthropy.
As chair of the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, she has helped continue philanthropic support for education, culture and communities.
Why I Chose Loida Nicolas Lewis
I chose Loida Nicolas Lewis not simply because she became wealthy or powerful.
I chose her because she shows us what can happen when achievement is joined by purpose.
She left the Philippines and succeeded on an international stage - but she did not forget the country, the province, the university and the people from which she came.
That is an important lesson for our young people.
Dream big.
Study hard.
Compete with the best in the world.
Become successful.
But don’t stop there.
Look back.
Reach out.
And when you are fortunate enough to rise, help someone else rise too.
That, to me, is the kind of success worth looking up to.
Success becomes more meaningful when we use it to create opportunities for others.