The fruits of one’s passion bloom best with perseverance and determination. This is the story of Liberato “Libby” Molina’s journey so far at Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI). Currently on his 16th year as a PCPPI Braveheart, Molina was recently inducted into PepsiCo’s Chairman’s Ring of Honor. This annual program recognizes the top 1% of all sales leaders across the organization’s worldwide locations. Together with his fellow 2023 inductees, Molina received the distinction in PepsiCo’s Global Headquarters in New York last June.

Molina admits he was surprised to be chosen to be part of the Chairman’s Ring of Honor, saying it took a while for it to sink in. He remains grateful for all the support he has received from his fellow Bravehearts, and to the organization’s leaders from whom he still gets guidance and direction to this day.

To be part of the Chairman’s Ring of Honor also means that Molina is part of a group of exceptional sales personnel who were recognized for their significant contribution to growing the company’s business and building meaningful client relationships.

Molina serves as a Key Outlet Manager in Tanauan, Leyte, and was also part of PCPPI’s Ring of Honor Awardees in this year’s National Summit of Bravehearts in Manila. He credits the strong sense of leadership that the company has instilled in him since he started. “Leaders should never stop learning, whether it’s to develop their skills or in communicating with their teams,” he said.

His leadership style upholds PCPPI’s ICARE values, which stands for Innovation, Care and Respect, Empowerment, and Excellence. In his journey with the organization, Molina strives to imbibe all these values, especially Care and Respect as he acknowledges the impact his role has on his team.

Speaking on leadership, he said that it is important that all members of the team understand the direction their organization sets, and that changes are inevitable in the spirit of progress and innovation. “Hindi magtatagal ang company kung walang innovation, changes sa direction, sa guidelines or mga bagong produkto. As leaders, kailangan nating ipaintindi sa kanila ito (It is natural for the company to innovate, changes in direction, in guidelines, [introduce] new products. As leaders, we need to help all members of the organization understand this.),” he said.

He believes work is not just the 8-to-5 grind. “Kung ano ang assignment o posisyon mo, trabahuin mo (Whatever your assignment or position, you have to focus and do it well),” he said, indicating that discipline is vital in working one’s way up the ranks.

For aspiring Bravehearts, he modestly shared three tips in making it at work. First, do it properly the first time, combining hard work with discipline and not just ambition. Second, set the goal and persevere to achieve it. And third, ask for guidance from those who have the know-how and experience.