By Ernie Cecilia, DPM

I always enjoyed listening to my long-time friend Jun Salipsip about his analysis of the political situation during our Strategic Issues Group meetings two decades ago. His fondness for the past is only overshadowed by his concern for the future of the Filipino youth as President of Enderun Colleges and as chairman of AmCham’s flagship project, the “Business Leadership Program.”

I was tasked to write about him as the first recipient of AmCham’s “Icon of Excellence” Award.
“Truly, I had no real plan about my career. I just ‘drifted’ into several roles that came my way. I am just plain curious and seemingly adaptable, and I took on several roles not just one after the other, but sometimes simultaneously in different aspects of my life’s journey,” Dr. Demetrio P. Salipsip, Jr. quipped when I asked him how he started his illustrious career as one of the country’s foremost educators and leaders.

“Jun”, as he is fondly called by his friends and associates, is the President of Enderun Colleges, a private non-sectarian higher education institution founded in 2005. Under his presidency, Enderun is highly regarded for its management, culinary, and entrepreneurship programs. It operates the first Ecole Ducasse culinary center outside of France. Enderun students are backed by 994 global industry partners in 33 countries that offer internship and possible career placements.

Armed with a Liberal Arts degree, and an MBA and a PhD degree in Management, Jun served the academe in various roles – as teacher at IAME, AIM, Baliwag University, and Enderun Colleges, a Research Director at Enderun, and as President of Enderun.
Jun had a long and storied career in industry, too. He was a cashier then purchasing manager at Zambowood, salesman at Parke Davies, brand manager at United Laboratories, production manager at Wyeth, president of Merril Dow, then a consultant at Dow Chemical, Wilom Learning (Hong Kong and China), and at Blessing & White (US).

He has current and past engagements in socio-civic, non-government organizations, and professional associations. Notably, Jun was the executive director of ACFI and PAGA, and current President of ACFPI/US. He was a member of the board of directors of CNDR and PAFEFI, and was an active member of the Management Association of the Philippines. For the longest time, Jun is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. and helps run the AmCham employees Savings and Loan Association. He also writes a column at the Inquirer.

Leadership Journey

Dr. Salipsip did not just bump into those positions and roles in his life’s journey. He said, “It’s always nice to be prepared when the opportunity comes.”

He recounted how he developed himself to be ready for different roles. First, he reads books – mostly on philosophy, psychology, business, leadership, and literature. Early in his career, he sought ought some mentors who could share with him their wisdom. He is also very observant about things and events that are happening, and has a keen eye for trends unfolding. “More importantly,” Jun said, “I learn from mistakes – mine and others.”

I asked him about three things (values, philosophies, or principles) that have shaped him as a person and as a leader. Jun was quick to reply without blinking, “Humility, compassion, and responsibility.”

Jun is a repository of knowledge. In AmCham, I would jokingly call him our department of history.

I asked him to differentiate the era of the Silent Generation and those of the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas. He quickly replied, “Let me answer that in four aspects. First, during our time, there was limited access to information. Today the Gen Zs and Alphas have too much information almost an overload. How one uses information determines success, not how much information one has.”

He continued, “Second, during our time, we have to wait for knowledge, to be discovered, to be taught. Today, knowledge is at the fingertips of everyone, especially the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas who are adept in searching for information. Third, in the past there were limited opportunities. Today opportunity abounds everywhere in an environment where everything is digitized, where there is information overload – often to the point of creating anxiety as people could not make up their mind about which opportunity to pursue. Fourthly, we used to have a different problem before. Generally, it was lack of access, as information was not as democratized as in current times. Today, I guess the problem lies in the apparent lack of wisdom to use the available knowledge and information to their advantage. Instead, some find discomfort amidst confusing and often diverse information at their fingertips.”

I asked Jun about the challenges he faced in his various roles. He paused a while and said, “First, it was the difficulty of balancing discipline and compassion for people. While we have systems and processes to follow, different people have a different understanding of these policies, standards, and systems. It makes it difficult for leaders to expect uniformity in the direction and the execution. Truly, it is easier to manage technical systems, but the real challenge is in managing people who often complain and sometimes their complaints are not based on facts or truth but on their own misperceptions and misconceptions.”

Dr. Jun said about the current generation, “The current generation will eventually lead the nation. I wish that they would have certain traits that leaders in our generation used to possess particularly humility, compassion, and responsibility. Some of our leaders today are more concerned about their image and reputation. It seems that some do not think before they talk or act, often resulting in inappropriate statements or wrong decisions. Worse, many do not have the humility to accept their mistakes. We have also seen how some leaders are more concerned about their self-interest. I want to see leaders who are compassionate, especially for those who have less in life. For me, leadership is not about the position it is about the responsibility. Few leaders today want to be made accountable for their actions and decisions. Leaders must continue to be accountable to the people they serve.”

I followed up my question with the leadership qualities needed today and in the future. Jun quickly replied, “First, a balance of understanding both the technical and human sides of running an organization. Organizations are naturally made up of systems and people.”

Jun continued, “Leaders must have character and integrity. We need ethical leaders. Next, a leader must have intellectual curiosity and adaptability to discern the changing environment in which organizations operate. Aside from technical competence, leaders must have a very high EQ emotional intelligence that makes him self-aware of his emotions, and the ability to manage his own emotion and those of his people.”

I asked if he has any regrets or lost opportunity, about which he can forewarn leaders today. Jun simply advised that:

“Leaders should not just focus on achieving goals, milestones, and leading the organization to greater heights. Sometimes, in so doing, we could forget about relationships which are more important in this life.”

In the age of continuous disruptions, Jun’s advice to leaders, employees, and students are quite simple: “Remain curious, learn continuously, adapt and change.” I guess that was the formula he used to navigate his successful career that spans more than half a century.

Asked about his reaction on winning the first ever “Icon of Excellence” Award from AmCham in 2023, Jun said in his usual humble but articulate way, “I was surprised, but deeply honored. It reminds me of the many people who helped me along the way my family, mentors, and colleagues.”

I was about to say that Jun is a man of few words, but I will not, after reading his lengthy article in his Inquirer Business column on February 23, 2026, “Why nothing seems to change: A quiet diagnosis of the Philippine condition.”