A brand of leadership ‘Done Rockwell’
There’s an affable warmth that seems to naturally radiate from Valerie L. Soliven.
Ever gracious and pleasant, the president and COO of Rockwell Land Corp. effortlessly engages those around her, creating a safe space for genuine connections that would endear you to her. Beyond this warmth, however, also lies a formidable strength and refinement, evident in the way her presence and leadership can readily command attention.
Soliven, who was appointed to her position just last June, is bringing to Rockwell Land not just a wealth of experience, but also a distinct kind of leadership—one that is approachable yet firm, one that values empowerment, collaboration as well as accountability.
Familiarity
Having joined Rockwell Land a year after its inception, Soliven has already held several key positions over the last 27 years, the latest of which would be as executive vice president and chief revenue officer for the upscale developer.
Given the advantage of familiarity—having been immersed in the Rockwell culture for over two decades now, and having witnessed the company’s phenomenal expansion in recent years—it was admittedly “not difficult to accept” the position, according to Soliven. But this does not mean to say that it will be easy for her.
In fact, all the more, it would be challenging as Rockwell Land is also in the midst of an ongoing expansion that has seen it establishing its footprint outside its flagship community in Makati City. Today, Rockwell Land has brought its signature lifestyle and distinct brand of community to more areas within and outside Metro Manila including Cebu, Bacolod, Pampanga, Laguna and Batangas.
“When it comes to the business, it’s more challenging especially since we’re coming from the pandemic. Not to say it’s easy, given that I’ve been here almost since the start, but I’m finding it easier to move forward because I’m working withe the same people who share the same vision including Mr. [Nestor] Padilla, our chairman, who remains to be very much involved with the business,” Soliven said in an interview with Inquirer Property.
“My concern really is the scale because we are so much bigger now compared to when we started. Before it was just a ragtag team of 30 until we grew to 100, 200 and now we’re about a thousand. And geographically, we’re also in more areas now. When you miss something, you’ll feel the impact. At the same time, if you do it right, it’s a leap in terms of growth,” she added.
Principles
More than rocking the boat, Soliven prefers to continue doing what they, at Rockwell, do best: that is to remain the benchmark for luxury living, to continue exceeding expectations, and to innovate to offer exclusive communities and distinct lifestyles “Done Rockwell”.
Core values like integrity, excellence, fairness and teamwork will remain and so would principles that enabled Rockwell Land to grow over the years such as being able to adjust quickly, remaining agile as if you’re a start-up, and staying true to its vision.
At the same time, however, Soliven emphasizes the importance of getting your ears on the ground, listening and adapting to the evolving preferences of the discerning market, and ensuring you deliver what you promise to your clients—or perhaps, even more.
She hopes, though, that she can inspire and motivate especially the young and new employees to adopt such culture that has long been responsible for the success of Rockwell Land.
Inspiring, motivating the team
“The way I motivate is I want to make sure you understand why we’re doing this, what its value is to you, and why your contribution is valuable. I want them to understand that in everything we do, you have a contribution to that goal,” she explained.
This is why Soliven tries to find time to sit down with the team and make them feel they have a safe space to speak up and share ideas. For her, there’s no such thing as a stupid idea. And she likes it this way too, noting that “if the solutions come from them, they’re more engaged. We’re empowering them but we’re also making them accountable for their decisions.”
Cementing its foothold
At the same time, Soliven has always reminded the team that it cannot be business as usual given the increasingly cutthroat competition nowadays. For Rockwell Land to cement its foothold, to remain the utmost embodiment of luxury living in the country, innovation remains key—not just in terms of products but more importantly, in terms of personalized customer service.
“It’s a lot of work for us moving forward. But I’m comforted with the fact that there’s also more people onboard in the organization now, helping us achieve our vision and plans and are as just as excited as we,” Soliven, concluded.
