by Adi C. Quisido
Smart, skilled, and full of spunk. That’s how I see Ma. Theresa Marañon Espino, fondly called Iteet by family and friends.
While we were formerly colleagues, it was only when we both retired from our corporate jobs that we got to know each other better. I was thrilled to experience she had a cheeky humour, a far cry from the no-nonsense persona she exuded while we were in San Miguel. I realized I missed a lot not knowing her well then.
Iteet had always struck me as a woman who knew where she was going, keeping her eyes on the ball and being careful not to lose herself in the vortex that is the corporate world. But working in a male-dominated company – one that pushed male-centric products at that – wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for any woman.
It would be easy for any young woman to fold beneath the pressure, or unravel under the stress of proving she was at par with her mostly male colleagues. Or feel intimidated by a mostly male presence in the boardroom.
Iteet proved to have more fortitude and sensibility to rise above all that and shatter the so-called glass ceiling. She was sharp, competent, strong, and no challenge was big enough to derail her. These helped her sail through a career growth that was nothing short of phenomenal.
Starting as a Sales Information (SI) Assistant in San Miguel Corporation Beer Division – Davao in 1996, she moved up to head the SI function for the whole of Mindanao in less than four years. After several months, she once again rose to SI Manager – Philippines. In less than five years, she was appointed SI Manager for the whole division, a post she held for over a year.
Iteet didn’t stop there. In 2008, she became San Miguel Beer International SI Manager, a post that no woman in SMB had held before. It seemed there was no stopping this powerhouse of a woman, despite her petite build and girlish look.
The women in the organization were amazed and proud of her achievements. Each time we heard she was moving up, in our minds we let go of a resounding ‘Go Iteet!’ So it came as a surprise to many when she left a thriving corporate career in 2008 to come home to Davao to be with her family.
Iteet is married to Dr. Victor Espino, a urologist, and has two adorable kids, Yves Angelo, 14, and Ymari Victoria, 8. As her work in SMB entailed a lot of international travel, time with her family had been greatly compromised. A combination of factors, mostly personal, brought her to the decision of retiring early. This showed her the real priority in her life – family.
Now, Iteet expends her time and energy at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Engineering and Architecture as a member of the BS Industrial Engineering Faculty. Where once she held power in her corporate job, now Iteet holds the power to mould the young minds of students.
“Teaching had always been my ultimate goal. After graduation I went out to gain experience in the workplace, so that I would have something concrete to share to my students later,” she said.
If you think it’s a shame for Iteet to keep her talents in only one organization, you’ll be glad to know she is also a consultant in an Oxfam-assisted program for enterprise development, as well as a coach under the UPSTREAM’s Management Development Program for Dole Phils. and Stanfilco.
Prior to her stellar career in SMC, Iteet was a Technical Assistant at the Office of the President-Mindanao. She had graduated Cum Laude from Ateneo De Davao University in 1994, with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and taking with her the title of Engineering Division Awardee.
She finished Master in Management at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao in 2010, achieving Academic Excellence and acclaimed as having the Best Strategic Plan Paper.
“I really love mentoring and coaching. When I was in San Miguel, I was so passionate about developing people; it gave me a real sense of accomplishment,” she added.
Iteet’s wise words to women who aspire to blaze trails in the corporate world are inspiring: be firm and focused; treat failure as a learning experience; start small, think big; keep a strong faith in God and in yourself.
“Most important, establish your personal values and don’t compromise them. In my case, I knew family comes first, that’s why I didn›t have a hard time deciding what direction to take,” she said.
With what she has achieved so far, Iteet very well deserves to retire early and engage in what she loves doing best.
