The granddaughter of National Bookstore’s founder is leading the company’s digital transformation. This year, in order to make books and supplies more accessible to the public during the pandemic, National Bookstore partnered with fintech app Plentina to launch its Buy Now Pay Later Program, which allows customers to purchase products on credit even without a credit card. The company also increased its ecommerce platforms and pivoted to home delivery when they had to close 230 branches during lockdown. As the head of Anvil Books, National Bookstore’s publishing arm, Ramos-Padilla also led the conversion of over 100 local title to e-book formats.

Ramos-Padilla got her MBA from Northwestern University in Chicago, but before returning to the Philippines she worked at the megachain Walmart, where she picked up valuable lessons from its merchandise-driven retail strategy and strong corporate culture. With the evolving reading habits of the Filipino, National Bookstore has also adapted to these changes, launching Wattpad titles and creating author-centered events. Its annual Philippine Readers and Writers Festival has brought in celebrated writers Viet Thanh Nguyen, Gina Apostol, Lang Leav and Adam Johnson. She also reinstated her grandmother’s Buklat Aklat Mobile Library Project and augmented it with campaigns to equip underprivileged kids with learning resources.