When news broke about the planned first pure-play healthcare IPO in the Philippines, the investing public wanted to learn more about Medilines Distributors Incorporated and its builder, Virgilio Villar.

Although commonly referred to as the younger brother of real estate tycoon Manny Villar, Virgilio is a successful businessman in his own right who began his career in the medical devices industry more than 30 years ago. While his kuya ventured in entrepreneurship from the get-go, Virgilio is a corporate-bred executive who rose from the ranks and built his own business after an early retirement, based on the skills and network he formed through years of experience.

Career Beginnings

Virgilio recalls how he started his career in various multinational companies as sales and marketing executive after he graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a degree in Master of Business Administration.  He also took Advanced Management Studies in Cologne, Germany.

His introduction to the field of medical devices began when he was hired as the general manager of B. Braun, a German multinational medical device company, in the Philippines in 1987. It was during this time when Villar started to deal with the top management of hospitals and doctors, where he has earned a good reputation through the years. Villar narrates how he would personally talk to clients and explain the functions of medical devices, their impact on the healthcare system and so on; something he continues to do today.

“I am very hands-on. I go out my way to meet my clients because it is important that we establish trust and confidence with them,” Villar says.

Because of his local and international training, Villar’s exposure to the best practices abroad, particularly in Germany, also helped mold him into a more astute businessman. He imbibed the German’s work culture on punctuality, organization, planning, and right execution, which became Villar’s own recipe for success in the corporate world and now, in business.

When he was general manager of B. Braun, Villar recalls how the infant company’s business rose from a million-peso in sales to about a billion before he left in 2008—a testament to his reputation as builder.

Building Medilines

Villar’s exposure through B. Braun prepared him for his eventual take-over of Medilines, which he has steered to greater heights through the years. Once again, he turned a six-year-old company with around P70 million in sales in 2008 to an enterprise with P1.5 billion in revenues as of end 2020. As of June 30, 2021, Medilines recorded sales of P815 million and net income of P102 million.