Diane Romero believes that she joined the business development of the Araneta Group at the right time. She was a fresh graduate when she entered the field in 2004.
Romero recalled, "Araneta City was in the onset of executing its redevelopment plans. Gateway Mall just opened and the next phases were mapped out. Being part of Business Development allowed me to be immersed in every major development Araneta has here now, from the ground up. These highlights include the 18-tower residential Manhattans Gardens, the renovation of Ali Mall & New Frontier Theater, the rise of Gateway Tower & Araneta Cyberpark, and the opening of the first Novotel branch in the Philippines. The experience honed my skills in project management and allowed me to interact with various stakeholders".
Her loyalty to the Araneta group had been rewarding. Throughout her career, she learned to handle special projects, assignments as a business analyst, and various experiences in doing outreach volunteer work. This earned her the trust of top management and the company's social responsibility arm, J. Amado Araneta Foundation. In 2008, Romero took on the role of Executive Director.
"Today, JAAF has a hundred scholars under its care excluding a hundred more through partnerships, it manages a public museum for Filipino culture & arts development, provides housing, healthcare assistance and livelihood for community development, readily lends a hand to the needy in times of disaster, provides grants and works with other organizations for productive projects, and takes part in endeavours that impact the lives of Filipinos nationwide including spiritual enrichment among many others," Romero shared.
Then in 2019, she was appointed AVP of Business Development. "I am blessed to have my passion, vocation, profession and mission converging and leading me to where I am now. But everything was not handed on a silver platter. Trust was built and maintained over time, starting from the smallest, the simplest tasks," she said.
Her inspiration? Romero's mother. "I admire her courage and perseverance in whatever she puts her mind into, but at the same time, she remains kind and generous – ready to help others," she shared.
We all have our distinct role by design. It must be recognized, seized and nurtured, first by us – women.