Music In Our Hearts

Now retired, Monchito leaves a legacy of leadership

Facilitating growth is the soundtrack of Monchito’s life. It’s the tune that plays through the relationships he builds with the people he works with.

More than Monchito Mossesgeld’s charisma, it’s his authentic self and sincere desire to help people grow that builds lasting bonds.

Right after college, he taught grade school in Ateneo while taking up his master’s degree in the same institution. “And that’s how I taught four present and former executives of the Ayala group,” he reveals. BPI President and CEO TG Limcaoco, Ayala Land CFO and Treasurer Toti Bengzon, AC Sports Consultant Jan Bengzon, and former Ayala Land President Jaime Ayala were all classmates back in seventh grade.

“I was never a strict teacher. I saw myself as their older brother who had authority over them, but with whom they could be open and honest. I enjoyed listening to their stories and lending an ear to their concerns. It was during those informal interactions that I was able to guide, influence, and shape their lives. In turn, I also learned how to care for others more deeply,” he shares.

As a parent, he supports his children by empowering them to be accountable for their actions and decisions. “Our parenting style is more advisory. We help them look at the pros and cons of things, but we leave the decision to them.” Without his prodding, his daughter even followed his footsteps and is also teaching now.

It’s obvious how Monchito enjoys being with people. It’s in their company that he draws energy, confidence, and strength.

Man for All Seasons

And while one typically associates being a people person with the human resources field, Monchito’s rich professional experience goes beyond it. While he was immersed in the HR field of different industries such as technology, real estate, and the holdings company within the Ayala group, he also spent some time doing non-HR work.

He worked as a general manager of Rizal Theater, which doubled up as a venue for plays and where Makati Shangri-la now stands. He also used to be the manager of Ayala Corporation’s commercial center, before Ayala Land was established.

He also became a team manager for the Purefoods basketball team in 1996, back when it was still owned by Ayala. It was a fascinating point of his career, managing basketball players and handling the press. He reveals: “First of all, I don’t play sports. I like to watch basketball, football, and tennis, but I don’t play a single sport. So, here’s a person who didn’t play basketball, who’s now team manager.”

Working with the basketball league press he recalls: “These are people whose natural gathering would always involve drinking, and I don’t drink. I drink a little but give me two bottles of beer and I’m done! So, I had to find a way of dealing with them in ways that were true of me, but while also establishing good connections with them.” And an impressive job he did as he received the “Executive of the Year” award from the PBA Press Corps in 1997!

The team manager role was completely out of his comfort zone, yet he excelled in it. “It became an opportunity for me to stretch myself and be good at areas where I may have thought I wouldn’t be in,” he recounts.

Reinvention

His attitude of being open to new perspectives helps him keep dancing through life’s ups and downs. “Renewal is a life-long process. It can mean reinventing yourself, doing something totally different, or finding a new and fresh meaning in something that is old or something you’ve been doing for a long time.”

And while the pandemic definitely shook things up and forced everyone to do things differently, it also pushed Monchito to stay hopeful. Admittedly, the pandemic has also made him feel anxious, but for him being grateful, staying connected with his loved ones, doing something for others, having time for self-care, and having a deep spiritual life helped in staying optimistic for better days ahead.

Even beyond retirement, Monchito remains active in the Ayala community. “I’ve spent more than half of my Ayala years on Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC), and it is something that I find very personally meaningful. I cannot think of my life in Ayala without it. I have worked for AYLC since it started in 1999, and much of my involvement has been after I took an early retirement in 2002. It’s really my post-retirement life’s work. It’s such a privilege to be able to work in a program that makes an impact on who will probably be the next leaders of this country.”

Jokingly he says: “When I die and God asks me what good I did in this life, I would point to AYLC and say: that. Will that qualify? It’s something I will forever be grateful for.

“Ayala has been largely a joyful experience for me. Those moments when we are together define what Ayala life is for me… In my own experience, valuing, honoring, and celebrating work efforts, achievements, and personal relationships are essential to what Ayala is.”

“If there is someone most willing to listen and learn from other people, it’s Jaime and Fernando. They’ve always been welcoming and willing to learn from other people,” he adds.

“When I look back at my life, I have a deep sense of gratitude for all that God has provided me with. I value very much my relationships and friendships with the people and teams I’ve worked with, and the opportunities to use my abilities and contribute meaningfully. When I think of Ayala, I think of Don Jaime and his kindness and generosity towards me and what I’ve learned from him. In Ayala, I was able to do what I do best, thanks to my bosses especially Mon Medina.”

A quote from Kahlil Gibran comes to Monchito’s mind: Work is love made visible. “What strikes me is that I have loved what I have been doing all these years.”

Monchito will continue singing and dancing to the music of life as he lives with the ultimate purpose of growing with the people dear to him. His life experiences, the relationships he built, and his outlook in life go together so well like a perfect melody as he faces the new year ahead.