Vuélvete ilimitado con Magzter GOLD

Vuélvete ilimitado con Magzter GOLD

Obtenga acceso ilimitado a más de 9000 revistas, periódicos e historias Premium por solo

$149.99
 
$74.99/Año

Intentar ORO - Gratis

'The Sit-Down' exclusive: Kyle Tan, taipan's grandson, on leading Tanduay

Manila Bulletin

|

September 14, 2025

A quiet workday morning in Quiapo, Manila, might be part of Kyle Tan's routine, but nothing about his journey has been. Inside his office at Tanduay Distillers Inc., two framed NBA jerseys hang on the wall—a constant reminder of his late father, Lucio "Bong" Tan Jr., and the unexpected path he had to take.

- By CHINO S. LEYCO

The jerseys, he explained, were from his father’s personal collection.

At only 24, Kyle was placed in a leadership role at one of the country’s most iconic brands, a sudden transition that began in November 2019.

A stranger to the local corporate world, having grown up in the United States (US), Tan found himself at the helm of a business empire built by his grandfather, taipan Lucio Tan. Today, Kyle, the younger of two sons of Bong, lives in Quezon City with his brother and their grandparents.

He makes the journey to the Tanduay office in Quiapo at least once a week, a trip that has forced him to confront one of his biggest adjustments to life back in Manila: the traffic.

"I only manage to drive on Sundays, when traffic is less," he says with a slight laugh. He has a soft spot for the simple pleasures of American life, like a good hamburger—a treat he'd eat every day, he says, if only it weren't for the calories. His responsibilities keep him from his second home, allowing him to return to the US only twice a year.

"You focus on the work ethic and you don't focus on the pressure, external pressures, and the doubt."

The weight of leadership

The weight of a family legacy is a heavy one, but Kyle, now 29 years old, carries it with sense of duty and humility. The core values instilled by his family—discipline, hard work, and the “family” culture within the company—are his guiding principles.

"I think the hardest and the most driven aspect that the family really tries to instill in everybody is, like, just the discipline and hard work," he shares in an interview on Manila Bulletin's newest video podcast "The Sit Down." "And I think that everything comes downstream from that."

His grandfather, who is known to many as Kapitan, remains a constant source of inspiration.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Mickey Mouse and friends take over Singapore

Changi Airport and Jewel unveil Disney's year-end activities

time to read

1 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

PBBM, Isko, open new health, housing facilities in Manila

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso unveiled a series of major health and housing facilities in the city on Thursday, Nov. 27, highlighting Manila's rapid expansion of public services through new laboratories, clinics, hospitals, and in-city housing projects.

time to read

1 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Trump: WV National Guard member shot by Afghan near White House dies

President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the suspect, who had worked with the CIA in his native country, a “savage monster.”

time to read

2 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

St. Benilde ousts Mapua

College of Saint Benilde held its ground and ousted reigning champion Mapua, 74-72, to book its semifinal ticket in the NCAA Season 101 men's basketball tournament at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City Friday, Nov. 28.

time to read

1 min

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

First Gen stock jumps 9.7% on delisting talk

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITP-GRFA), a critical pact among 155 member countries under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aims to secure the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, while protecting Farmers’ Rights.

time to read

1 min

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

Harp magic

Harp the herald, angels sing! If angels could talk, would they want the harp to sing for them, or with them?

time to read

1 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

1st Sunday of Advent; 34th Eucharistic Congress

Somebody once said, “There are two things we cannot escape in life — paying taxes and dying.”

time to read

2 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

FL Liza lights Baguio Christmas tree

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Mansion House here on Thursday, Nov. 27.

time to read

1 min

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

Gladys Reyes reveals dream roles

Balancing her bustling schedule while filming the second season of 'Cruz vs. Cruz,' Primera Kontrabida Gladys Reyes, now a prominent member of Star Magic's illustrious lineup of talent, continues to shine as one of the Philippines' most legendary actresses.

time to read

2 mins

November 29, 2025

Manila Bulletin

DOJ finishes probe on 3 of 5 Bulacan flood control cases

A panel of prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, Nov. 28, finished the preliminary investigation in three of the five cases involving flood control projects in Bulacan.

time to read

1 min

November 29, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size