CEO Insights Magazine

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is the Asian pioneer in management education. AIM has been committed to contributing to the growth of Asian businesses and societies by developing professional, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible managers and leaders. Graduates from AIM are well recognized for their ability to navigate complex and dynamic spaces and occupy key positions in business, state, and development corporations all over the world.

One such outstanding AIM alumna who is making waves in her spheres is Dr. Mia Gapuz. Dr. Mia Gapuz is a seasoned leader in the realm of test preparation with a proven track record of around 2 decades in the industry. Dr. Mia Gapuz is driven by the mission to help professionals pass their licensure exams and realize their dream as well as make her entity, Gapuz Review, one of the best test preparation centers in the international market.

Dr. Mia Gapuz, President and CEO at Gapuz Review engages in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights Asia and enlightens us more about her professional traits.

Could you give a brief account of your professional background and experiences?
I began my career in our family business, RA Gapuz Review Center, a test preparation center based in the Philippine province of Pangasinan. From 2007 to 2012, I was the President and CEO of RA Gapuz Review Center, Inc. (RAGRC), and during that time, RAGRC grew to become one of the biggest review centers in the Philippines, serving nearly 25 percent of the Philippine market. When I stepped down as company president, I opened various businesses in the field of education, health, and well-being.

In 2019, during the pandemic, I launched Gapuz Review, this time, on my own, which provided upto-date and more responsive courses like the Civil Service. Then it added test preparation courses for nurses (NCLEX), dentists and others. I aim to take Gapuz Review global to serve international examinees and learners.

How would you define Gapuz Review as an organization and its current position in the market?
Gapuz Review is geared toward the international market. The courses are more responsive to the needs of modern learners; they are automated and paperless through the use of a learning management system called Artemis360; thus, providing more flexibility to the learners.

Gapuz Review, as young as it is, has now started to offer test preparation courses like the NCLEX to a variety of nurses in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and the Philippines. Gapuz Review now also serves learners in Pakistan, Turkey, Switzerland, and Africa.

Gapuz Review courses will continue to be responsive to the current needs of examinees and learners so that we can continue to serve them and help them pass, which, I believe, is the main purpose of this business after all.
Gapuz Review is also geared towards partnering with individuals and companies with the same mission and vision of serving examinees and learners all over the globe.

Tell us about your leadership approach, and the guidelines or methodologies you follow to lead your team.
I am a visionary leader who is dedicated to creating a vision for the future of my company and my people. I am passionate about setting clear goals, instilling a sense of purpose, and motivating my team to take action to achieve our objectives. I am a perfectionist who enjoys working with a team of highly intelligent and high-performing individuals. I am also very hands-on, which I believe is essential for monitoring my business and making timely decisions. I am appreciative of every student or client who signs up; their trust is very important to me. It’s like they're handing over a part of their future to me. So I make sure that we offer quality review courses with guidance, moral support, and care.

What is the future destination you are heading towards?
I want to serve the international market, and I am determined to continue working on this path. Not only have we started establishing a strong presence in the Asian market, but we have also been invited to provide test preparation courses in Canada, Florida, and New York. I want to showcase Gapuz Review courses in the international market to help more. And hopefully establish Gapuz Review as one of the best test preparation centers in terms of content,quality, responsiveness, and performance.

In light of your strong experience within the industry, what advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
Do not stray from the good practices that have propelled you to the top of your industry. Those were the reasons why customers patronized your products or services. Do not deviate, but rather improve.

Businesses have shaped the world in pursuit of profit and growth, but I believe that having a deeper purpose to better the lives of others, likea strong sense of service to address their needs, makes a company even more successful and the business owner even more fulfilled. Profit will always follow in businesses with deeper purpose. Always be grateful to God.

Dr. Mia Gapuz, President and CEO, Gapuz Review Philippines
Dr. Mia Gapuz is a licensed Dentist and a seasoned leader in the realm of test preparation with a proven track record of around two decades in the industry. Dr. Mia A. Gapuz has a strong passion for excellence in education. She spent her childhood competing and winning in various quizbees in the Philippines, is a Topnotcher - ranked No. 2, in her Dentistry licensure exam in the Philippines, a top alumnus of the University of the Philippines - Manila, Batch 2000, awarded highest distinction by the Asian Institute of Management- (Master in Entrepreneurship) Batch 2006, Instituto De Empresa, (Master of Digital Marketing), Madrid, Spain, Batch 2010. She is currently taking Web Technologies from Harvard Business School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• Hobbies: Traveling and Reading
• Favorite Cuisine: Filipino Cuisine
• Favorite Travel Destination: Guam
• Awards & Recognition: Board Topnotcher No. 2 & Highest Distinction- Asian Institute of Management