The Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019 has concluded its search for the country’s most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines is a program of the SGV Foundation, Inc. with the participation of co-presenters Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, and the Philippine Stock Exchange. In the next few weeks, BusinessWorld will feature each of the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019.
Dr. Aivee Aguilar Teo
President and Medical Director
The A — Institute
THE PHILIPPINES is currently witnessing the evolution of aesthetic medicine through the melding of dermatology and technology.
Leveraging on these new methods, is dermatologist, Dr. Aivee Aguilar Teo, the president and medical director of The A — Institute. Her holistic approach to beauty and wellness has helped transform the cosmetic services in our country.
“My vision for the Philippines is to be the center of medical technology. We want to showcase that we are at par with international standards. We want to disrupt the beauty industry in the country, so we make sure that we’re always innovating. We’re always thinking of new concepts,” Ms. Teo explains.
Ms. Teo has always been passionate about uplifting the nation and empowering her fellow Filipinos.
While she comes from a family of government officials and real estate developers, her father insisted that she become a doctor. She took up medicine at the University of Sto. Tomas. After finishing her dermatological residency in 2001, she pursued her fellowship in Singapore’s National Skin Center. This is where she met the man who would become her husband and business partner, Dr. Z’Shen “Z” Teo, who is also a dermatologist.
Upon completing her studies in Singapore, Ms. Teo returned to the Philippines and became a consultant and dermatologist at the Asian Hospital and the Las Piñas Doctors Hospital. Her first out-of-hospital practice was in a small clinic in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) which she shared with two other doctors.
Realizing the need for a bigger space, Ms. Teo took the leap and opened her first Aivee clinic in Burgos Circle, BGC in 2009. “It was my first time to be on my own, so I had to think of something that would differentiate my clinic from the rest. We spent months planning the treatments that we were going to introduce and planning the look of the clinic. We hired a good interior designer because I really wanted a beautiful clinic where my patients would feel comfortable. I didn’t want them to feel like they’re in a hospital.”
Eventually, Ms. Teo’s vision came to fruition with the opening of a health and wellness one-stop-shop. She established the A — Institute in 2017 to address all the medical and cosmetic needs of her patients. It is the largest clinic under the Aivee group, with integrated services such as, dermatology, hair transplant and regeneration, plastic surgery, slimming programs, nutrition, sports medicine, anti-aging and sleep medicine. Ms. Teo said that it is also one of the first clinics in the country to have a Department of Health (DoH)-accredited plastic surgery center.
“We want to make sure that all the latest treatments are available here in the Philippines, so that our clients won’t feel that we’re second class. In fact, most of the time we’re first to acquire the machines. We want our patients to try the new procedures without having to go overseas,” Ms. Teo added.
Her quest for innovation led her to introduce state-of-the-art machines including a physician-assisted hair transplant robot. The clinic is also equipped with painless, non-invasive facelift and body-shaping machines. Recently, they acquired a hyperbaric oxygen chamber that speeds-up the physical recovery of patients.
At present, Ms. Teo balances her time overseeing the five Aivee clinics in the Philippines and one in Singapore. Her clinic employs over 20 doctors consisting of surgeons, dermatologists and other specialists; and over 250 other medical and administrative personnel.
Collectively, her clinics treat over 500 patients daily. She claims that her clientele expanded through word-of-mouth recommendations from her well-known clients or the Aivee Leaguers, as her company has never advertised their services.
She adds, “I can measure the level of our success in the trust that our patients place on our services. We knew our clinic made an impact. People were referring us to their friends and contacts. I was surprised that there was a very positive reception.”
Through Ms. Teo’s expertise, the Aivee group claims to have been recognized by Merz Aesthetics as the best Ultherapy provider in the Philippines for five consecutive years and Asia Pacific for the past two years.
Aside from her clinics, Ms. Teo intends to expand her business into other aspects of health and wellness, starting with nutrition. She has installed a café in every clinic, with a menu consisting of healthy food options and vegan drinks created by chefs and nutritionists. Additionally, the company piloted a prescription food service called “Dr Food” that aims to complement the clinical treatments of patients by providing healthy bespoke meals that will be delivered to them daily. To further improve her leadership and management skills, Ms. Teo enrolled in Harvard Business School’s specialized program for business owners.
Coming from a family of public servants, it was inherent in Ms. Teo to give back to the community. She started a program for indigent patients at the Las Piñas Doctors Hospital, where she would conduct free consultations every Monday, and provide free medication and hospitalization.
Today, her charity work extends to the Aivee group’s Beauty Beyond Borders (BBB) foundation. Ms. Teo founded BBB with the aim to build the confidence and change the lives of underprivileged people who need to undergo dermatological procedures. She and her team of medical professionals conduct quarterly skin medical missions to various barangays and treat approximately 300 to 500 patients. The medical team usually performs consultations, and on occasion conducts minor aesthetic and orthopedic surgeries and emergency procedures. The foundation also partners with other companies who donate medicine and food to their beneficiaries.
Ms. Teo’s commitment to improve the lives of her patients is what inspires her to conceptualize new services and treatments. She is driven to lead by example, because despite her hectic schedule as the company president, she still manages to be hands-on with her patients. And as a woman who has had to forge her own path in creating a unique wellness experience for her clientele, Ms. Teo tells would-be entrepreneurs that “To succeed do not measure yourself by other people’s standards, Run your own race.”
The official airline of the Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2019 is Philippine Airlines. Media sponsors are BusinessWorld and the ABS-CBN News Channel.
The winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019 will be announced on Oct. 15 in an awards banquet at the Makati Shangri-La hotel.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines will represent the country in the World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 in Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2020. The Entrepreneur Of The Year program is produced globally by Ernst & Young.
