NEW RED CROSS GOVERNOR

With the specific mission to wield technology to advance the cause of the humanitarian organization, Dennis Mendiola, founding CEO of Chikka.com, was recently inducted as a governor of the Philippine National Red Cross.

A multi-awarded “technopreneur,” Mendiola has inspired many for leading technological innovations that have translated to valuable services for the Global Filipino, and put the Philippines on the map as a global hub for mobile applications development. He has been cited in the last two years alone at Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Go Negosyo Movement of the Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship, at the Agora Marketing Awards and as one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM).

“This is remembering and going back to my roots for me. As volunteer No. 001 at Subic of then SBMA Chief Richard Gordon in 1992, we had little more than our idealism to try and make the former US Naval facility, play a key role in RP’s bid to become an Asian Tiger,” said Mendiola.

“Then thousands of otherwise highly capable Base workers were left without stable sources of income when the Americans left. But we had something much more potent than cash flow, which then we had none, and neither budget allocation from the government. We had people willing to risk everything, to give up lucrative offers overseas, to secure a better future for their families through a rare demonstration of true commitment by volunteerism.”

Gordon and his “young turks” eventually landed deal after deal and attracted enough investors to jumpstart Subic and keep its engine humming. Mendiola left Subic to pursue an MBA at Harvard University, which was followed by an internship at Morgan Stanley and gainful employment as an investment banker at Bankers Trust.

In 1996, he returned to the Philippines to establish the private equity investment firm Next Century Partners led by former Energy Secretary Vincent Perez. NCP lays claim to launching the first Philippine fund listing at the London Stock Exchange. Mendiola would found Chikka in 2000 and lead the company towards becoming the most pervasive brand for Internet to mobile communications depended on by Filipinos worldwide.

“A sound sense of providing a valuable service has always fired us up at Chikka. As for me, I feel that I’ve paid my dues to corporate business, and the Red Cross has given me this opportunity now to re-channel my energies, to wield best practices in technology towards relieving extremely urgent humanitarian crises happening everywhere in the world today,” Mendiola added.

“Back with Gordon at the helm, back to volunteerism, I have come full circle.”

At Chikka.com, Mendiola is now focused on creating mergers and acquisitions opportunities, including the possibility of listing the company. The PNRC provides six major services at present: Blood Services, Disaster Management, Safety Services, Community Health and Nursing, Social Services and the Volunteer Service.

All of them embody the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. These values guide and inspire all Red Cross staff and volunteers, to whom being a Red Crosser is more than just a philosophy but a way of life.