An Iloilo-based consulting firm is showing that world-class strategy and advisory work do not have to come exclusively from Metro Manila. Cornelius Magnate Engagement & Consulting, founded by Ilonggo business and innovation consultant Ken Lerona, is steadily gaining recognition on the national stage, helping organizations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao strengthen leadership, improve organizational culture, and innovate with purpose.
From Iloilo to the National Stage
Cornelius Magnate specializes in training, leadership development, organizational innovation, communication, and reputational risk management. Its client base spans multinational corporations, family-owned enterprises, government agencies, cooperatives, and MSMEs.
What sets the firm apart is its ability to connect corporate boardrooms with countryside realities. From high-level strategy sessions in Makati to grassroots workshops in Pampanga, Cebu, Samar, and Davao, Cornelius Magnate adapts global frameworks to local contexts. Its guiding principle is clear: growth must be inclusive, practical, and people-centered.
The Global Probinsyano Advantage
At the helm is Lerona, who proudly calls himself a global probinsyano. With over 20 years of corporate leadership in communication, marketing, and innovation, he brings boardroom credibility while staying immersed in grassroots development.
His corporate journey includes leadership roles at SM Supermalls, Smart Communications, Arthaland, Federal Land, and Home Credit Philippines—experiences that gave him an insider’s view of both multinational and family-owned corporations. Today, as a consultant, he also mentors cooperatives, vendors, and farmers in the provinces.
“If we want to build stronger businesses and communities, we must understand both the language of executives and the language of farmers,” Lerona often says.
Academic and Professional Depth
Lerona holds a Master in Innovation and Business from the Asian Institute of Management, alongside certificates in Corporate Strategy, Corporate Innovation Systems Strategy and Design, and Futures Thinking. He also completed an Executive Certificate in Digital Leadership from Singapore Management University, studied adult learning at Ateneo de Manila University, and earned his Business Administration degree (Marketing) from the University of the Philippines Visayas.
This academic foundation, combined with professional experience across FMCG, telecommunications, real estate, finance, and technology, gives him a distinctive vantage point as a business and innovation expert.
Building in Both City and Countryside
Cornelius Magnate deliberately set its base outside Metro Manila to highlight opportunities in the provinces. It has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and various local government units to help MSMEs grow and improve public service delivery.
At the same time, Lerona remains active in corporate circles, guiding clients in strategic growth, leadership development, and customer experience. His ability to move seamlessly between boardrooms and barangays sets Cornelius Magnate apart from Manila-centric consultancies.
Experience Engineering as Strategy
One of the firm’s pioneering initiatives is Experience Engineering. Recently, Cornelius Magnate co-presented with the Iloilo Business Club a Masterclass on Ilonggo Branded Experience Engineering.
The program stressed that customer experience must be treated as a strategic business function, as critical as finance or operations. Through an interdisciplinary approach—drawing from psychology, communication, anthropology, and design thinking—the firm helps organizations redesign processes to strengthen brand equity.
“Customer experience must be engineered with rigor,” Lerona says. “When done right, it builds trust, loyalty, and long-term value.”
Looking Ahead
By combining global expertise with deep local immersion, Cornelius Magnate Engagement & Consulting is shaping a new model of provincial-based consulting that plays confidently on the national stage.
For Lerona, the mission remains ambitious yet simple: to help organizations navigate change with integrity, foresight, and resilience. In both words and practice, he demonstrates that one can be global in outlook while proudly provincial in grounding—an Ilonggo probinsyano making an impact across the country.
Learn more at www.corneliusmagnate.com
