For Ken Lerona, founding Cornelius Magnate Engagement & Consulting wasn’t about chasing titles — it was about merging insights from boardrooms and public markets, from corporate offices in Metro Manila to barangay halls in the provinces. He sought to create a consulting practice both globally relevant and deeply Filipino. With over two decades in communication, marketing, innovation, and reputational risk management, he stands precisely where innovation, communication, and nation-building meet.
From UP Visayas to AIM
Lerona’s journey began at the University of the Philippines Visayas, where he earned a BS in Business Administration (Marketing), blending academic rigor with grassroots insight. His pursuit of lifelong learning took him to the Asian Institute of Management, where he earned a Master in Innovation and Business, and to Singapore Management University for an Executive Program in Digital Leadership. He also expanded his skillset with certificates in Futures Thinking, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Innovation Systems Strategy & Design from AIM, and deeper understanding in adult learning from Ateneo de Manila University.
Corporate Leadership Across Industries
Before establishing his own consultancy, Lerona held leadership roles at Home Credit Philippines, Arthaland, Federal Land, Smart Communications, and SM Supermalls — each granting him a unique lens on Philippine business. “Those experiences deepened my perspective,” Lerona reflects. “You learn how industries rise, adapt — or sometimes stumble. And those lessons guide how you craft strategies for others.”
A consultant serving all islands
Today, his work spans the length and breadth of the Philippines, spanning multinationals, MSMEs, cooperatives, LGUs, startups, hospitality groups, and agricultural enterprises — creating strategies that matter as much in boardrooms as in barangays.
In the past year alone, Cornelius Magnate has worked with internationally branded restaurants; a group of companies managing hotels and resorts; a Cebu-based real estate developer; a Visayan bakeshop brand with over 500 branches; an appliance retail chain with more than 120 stores; a pharmaceutical company; a medical and science equipment provider; and a power distributor network in the Visayas. Lerona himself has personally trained more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, farmers, and cooperative leaders across the country, and, as a thought leader, has addressed over 50,000 individuals nationwide over the years.
Cultural fluency & human-centered leadership
What truly sets Lerona apart is his capacity to navigate multinational corporations, traditional Filipino enterprises, and Filipino-Chinese family businesses with equal ease. “Strategy must be human-centered,” he affirms. “Rooted in culture and empathy — or else it risks losing impact.” This blend of boardroom acumen with grassroots understanding makes him not just a consultant, but a voice of influence in both national development and business innovation.
At the crossroads
In an era defined by digital disruption and regional development, Ken Lerona stands uniquely placed — at the nexus where strategy meets society. As Founder and President of Cornelius Magnate Engagement & Consulting, he continues charting a path where innovation, communication, and nation-building converge, proving again and again that real progress comes when strategy meets humanity.
Know more about the firm at corneliusmagnate.com
Cornelius Magnate is a premium training and consulting company committed to strengthening organizations through customized strategy, talent development, and innovation. Cornelius Magnate Engagement and Consulting is a strategy and advisory firm specializing in training, innovation, and reputational risk management. Founded by Ken Lerona, a highly respected consultant in the Philippines, the firm serves clients across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — from multinational brands, MSMEs, and LGUs to Filipino-Chinese legacy businesses and regional branches of global brands.
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