Dante Bravo comes with a very impressive resume. A CPA-lawyer, and among the top 10 in the bar exam in 2001, Dante served as director in the Tax Division of SGV & Co, the largest auditing firm in the Philippines, and a member firm of the Ernst & Young Global. He was a special lecturer in taxation to Philippine bar reviewees enrolled in San Beda as well as a lecturer in taxation for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) administered by the Supreme Court.
Thus, when he finally became the president of the country’s second largest nickel ore exporter – Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc.— the mining industry gained a prime mover. He is also the president of the various wholly-owned subsidiaries of FNI, namely: Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC), Surigao Integrated Resources, Corp., PGMC-CNEP Shipping Corporation and Ipilan Nickel Corporation. Dante is also president of Philippine Nickel Industry Association.
At a time when the mining is under so much pressure from all sides, Dante lends a credibility. He himself is confident of what he can do to make the industry better.
He understands there is a high expectation for the current leaders in the mining industry. Unlike the previous leaders, Dante realizes the mining industry has to address issues that were never a concern of the past. These are environmental protection and preservation, protection of indigenous people’s rights, local and national development, tax and royalty contributions, etc.
“As leaders of today in the mining industry, we have to consider all these things, including our contribution to future generations,” says Dante, who makes it a point to always continue learning things that were never taught in school.
And rightly so, Dante is in a position right now of greater influence and contribution. “I am able to understand better the mining industry in terms of its importance to the world, particularly, on value creation, modernizing the world, environmental protection and preservation, and social development. I am able to help generate jobs, develop communities, contribute taxes, protect the environment and expand to other ventures to create more value and help more people and communities. All these things bring joy to me,” says Dante.
He sees FNI diversifying into complementary businesses like steel manufacturing and logistics to ensure the long-term growth of the company. This can be achieved by having a good management team that has lots of energy integrity and a company that takes care of its people and the community.