Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan was just 16 when she found herself in charge of raising her three younger brothers while her mom traveled between Canada and the Philippines. At the same time, she was working at McDonald’s and Pizza Hut, juggling double shifts while finishing school in Vancouver.
Fast forward to today, she’s the President and CEO of Mega Prime Foods Inc., the company behind Mega Sardines, one of the most iconic Filipino food brands.
In an interview with Financial Adviser PH, Michelle shares how her early years working entry-level jobs—and managing family responsibilities—taught her the kind of leadership skills you don’t always learn in boardrooms.
A crash course in real-world leadership
“Those jobs taught me discipline, patience, and how to serve people,” Michelle says. Whether it was manning a cash register or folding clothes at a retail store, she paid attention to the little things—timeliness, consistency, teamwork. “It gave me a huge appreciation for the people behind the counters.”
Today, she leads more than 3,000 employees at Mega, and that experience continues to shape how she connects with people on the ground.
From caring for siblings to managing thousands
Michelle points to that chapter of caring for her younger brothers as a defining moment. “It wasn’t easy, but it made me who I am today. I learned to set routines, solve problems, and hold things together even when I was overwhelmed.”
Those years became her training ground. “I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s where I learned how to lead with both firmness and compassion,” she says.
At Mega, she’s known for her mix of structure and heart. Employees see her not just as a CEO, but as someone who leads with empathy—a “mother figure,” as some call her.
Systems, accountability, and scaling up
When Michelle joined the family business after college, Mega Sardines was just getting off the ground. Her first instinct? Build structure.
“I came from retail, where systems were tight and roles were clear,” she explains. That background helped her install performance metrics, define accountability, and separate family roles from business roles as the company expanded.
“If you don’t create structure, things fall apart fast—especially in a growing business.”
Her approach helped transform the business into a scaled operation, with efficient processes and clear lines of responsibility. She believes that structure gives people the confidence and freedom to perform their best.
Leading with both head and heart
One thing Michelle is firm about: good leadership isn’t about being the smartest in the room.
“It’s about building systems that support your people and making them feel seen and valued. It’s a balance of head and heart.”
Her combination of discipline, empathy, and clarity continues to guide how she makes decisions, develops teams, and moves Mega Prime Foods forward.
The takeaway
Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan didn’t come up through the usual executive route. Her training ground was customer counters, retail aisles, and the kitchen table as a teenage guardian.
Today, she applies those real-life lessons to leading one of the country’s most respected food companies.
“Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about how you show up for people—consistently, with structure, empathy, and purpose.”
That’s the playbook she lives by—and the one she’s passing on.
