Not all leaders start at the top. Some begin on the ground, learning the business, understanding people, until one day, they are called to lead.

This is the story of Steven Tan, SM Supermalls President.

Steven's story didn't start in retail; it began hospitality – waiting tables. From those early days of service, he learnt the value of attentiveness, dedication, and putting people first.

"I wasn't actually planning anything at all. You know, I was working, and I've always set my eyes on just going up the ranks. I started waiting tables in Taipei, until I was at front office. By the time I left the hotel industry, I was the Director of Rooms."

From there, he pursued a career in hospitality, working in some of Asia's top hotels, from Taipei to Shanghai. He mastered the details that make people feel welcome. In 2004, he took a big leap. He joined SM as the mall manager of the Podium. His approach was simple: put people first.

He helped run some of SM's most iconic malls, from the Mall of Asia to SM Aura. He led teams, listened to customers, designed experiences, and step by step, he rose from mall manager to Chief Operating Officer, then President of SM Supermalls.

His perspective was global. Steven earned his MBA in Europe, where he gained an appreciation for design, culture and elegance. He kept a mindset that shaped every space he created.

"Hospitality – I started, as you've said, my career in 5-star hotels around the world now. In hotels, you really look into the detail of things. As the saying goes, retail is detail. So, when people ask if it's a completely different industry, for me, it's not. It's really not. It's all service. How you provide that experience the customers is what matters the most."

Because for Steven, a mall shouldn't just be a place; it must be an experience. In January 2020, just a few months before the world shut down, Steven was appointed President. It was a challenging time for retail.

"My focus has always been just business—how to grow the business, business, business, business, business. Then the pandemic hits. I was at a loss. I'll be very honest with you, it was a very humbling experience. I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to navigate these waters."

But instead of stepping back, he moved forward with empathy and urgency. He introduced safe malling, launched the SM Malls Online app, turned the malls into vaccination hubs. He protected jobs, served communities, and reimagined how malls could support a nation in crisis.

He said, "it's all about communication. It's all about talking to your partners, whether it's your employees or your tenants, because they also need your guidance. So it's really all about communicating with them, letting them feel that you're always there to support them. It's not just about financial assistance. It's really not just the mere fact that there is somebody they feel that they could really count on, call on, rely on. That's more than enough for them. I really realize that tenants really need a wall to lean on. And you should always be there for them, in good times and in bad times."

For his leadership, Steven was named Global Filipino Executive of the Year. But ask him what matters most, and he'll tell you:

"It's not all business. It’s not all about business. Whatever I do, it's always about people, whether it is our community that we serve in wherever we are. It's always the community we serve, and that community is everyone—the vendors, our tenant partners, the waiters who work in the restaurants in the malls, the security guards, the janitors, our own employees. You know you always have to think of them first, and the rest will just follow."

Through programs for women, PWDs, and children's special needs, Steven turned malls into places of belonging.

"I was very very fortunate during that time that Mr. Henry Sy Sr. was still able to share his knowledge with me on how the positioning of our stores should be, how many stores before it cafes you should be have, how you should look into the whole family, from the grandfather down to the baby—what are their needs, what are they looking for, how to make them comfortable and how to have that easiness of shopping. You know, those preparations, that I got tips from Mr. Henry Sy Sr., were very valuable. Until this very day, I still put that in my heart and apply it whenever we open the mall."

Today, Steven is helping SM grow even stronger, from new malls in Laoag and Zamboanga to redevelopments that transform malls into lifestyle hubs with rooftop gardens, wider spaces, and greener features. Every new space he builds reflects a bigger mission to create malls that serve, inspire, and uplift.

This year, SM Supermalls celebrates 40 Super Years, four decades of service of milestones of memories. And at the heart of this journey stands a leader who pivoted in the most challenging times. Steven never forgot where he started, and he continues to move forward with purpose, vision, and heart.