For Peggy Angeles, reaching the top of the hospitality industry was never simply about earning a title. As executive vice president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, her journey has been shaped by decades of learning, adapting and proving that women can thrive even in spaces traditionally dominated by men.

Angeles began her career without a grand plan to become a hospitality executive. Her entry into the industry came almost by chance after her brother suggested that she consider hotel management at a time when the Philippine hotel industry was beginning to grow.

She eventually studied at the University of the Philippines and began her professional journey through an internship at Silahis Hotel. Before even graduating, she was offered a position as a reservations agent at Hyatt Terraces, marking the beginning of a career that would span internationally recognized hotel groups and eventually lead her to SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation.

But climbing the corporate ladder was not always an easy path, particularly as a woman.

Angeles openly acknowledged the difficulty of entering the C-suite in an industry where senior leadership had historically been dominated by men.

“As a female, it’s very hard to break into the glass ceiling... of the C-suite,” she said, recalling how leadership positions were “almost, mostly men.”

What women can do

Her experience, however, has also shown her that those barriers can change when women are given the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.

She pointed to positions within the hospitality industry that have traditionally been associated with men, from executive chefs and engineering directors to chief security officers. Today, she said, women occupy these roles in some of SM’s hotels.

For Angeles, aspiring women should not be discouraged by the industry’s history.

“We should not be deterred from trying to aspire for those roles,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about what you can do, the passion you have for it, and being able to deliver what is expected of you.”

Yet her leadership philosophy is not built around power or position. If anything, Angeles believes hospitality demands the opposite: humility.

“First and foremost, if you really want a career in the hospitality industry, you need to be humble. You need to stay grounded,” she said, stressing that integrity and a genuine passion for service are equally important.

That mindset comes from both experience and family. Angeles credits her father, whom she describes as a humble man, as one of her biggest inspirations. Despite his achievements in the coconut industry, he simply identified himself as a farmer. Angeles carried that lesson into her own career, remembering that she once introduced herself not by her executive title, but by where she started--as a housekeeper in the rooms division.

“Being, staying grounded and being humble, because I guess whatever you achieve, it comes because of that,” she said.

Learn and adapt

For Angeles, staying grounded also means remaining willing to learn.

After spending decades in hospitality, she has witnessed the industry evolve from manual systems to increasingly technology-driven operations. Her ability to adapt, she believes, has been crucial to her career.

“I got to where I am because of that ability to be able to learn and adapt,” she said.

That philosophy remains central to the legacy she hopes to leave. With technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence reshaping hospitality, Angeles believes leaders must be prepared to change with the times.

“One must have to be adaptable. You should go with the times,” she said. “We need to adapt and be able to change because only those that continue to learn and grow will grow with all this technology and innovation.”

Ultimately, Angeles hopes the industry becomes more inclusive not only for women seeking leadership positions, but for communities and businesses beyond the country’s major tourism hubs.

Her vision is for Philippine hospitality to create opportunities across the country, particularly in secondary and tertiary cities, while bringing together hotel operators, local owners, suppliers, and communities.

After years of breaking barriers, Angeles’ message is less about reaching the top, it is more about knowing how stay humble and flexible with the change of times.

In an industry built around making people feel welcome, perhaps the most enduring lesson is that leadership, too, begins with knowing how to serve.