Dentist with a dream: Steve Mark Gan

Steve Mark Gan is more than your average dentist. Rather, he is someone with an intensely entrepreneurial spirit, driven to give back to his community.

"I’m very proud to say that we have changed dentistry in the Philippines," the Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC) Chairman and CEO tells The CEO Magazine.

"Before, dentistry was considered scary and boring. We needed to turn it into something sexy, fashionable and part of a lifestyle to maintain oral healthcare."

Growing up, Gan knew he wasn’t like other children – he viewed the world differently from those around him. But he didn’t realize then that this would ultimately be one of the biggest contributors to his success.

"I pay attention to details," he explains. "As a kid, I thought I was so ordinary. Other people were so good at basketball or sport, but my gift is that I see things that other people cannot."

From the ground up

By the age of 10, Gan had harnessed this skill and begun his foray into the business world. He began selling lemonade with his brother, then moved to pencils, comic books and jeans. In high school and college, he DJ’d and began to dabble in the stock market.

He turned to music producing and later realized his talent as a dental surgeon. When he returned to his home of the Philippines in 1998, following his residency in the United States, Gan had a total of US$90 and a third-hand dental chair to his name.

"I started from scratch, from literally nothing," he recalls.

"Three years on, I had saved enough money to build the first GAOC. I built a very humble, but very state-of-the-art clinic, a 60-square-meter office. I’ve always worked seven days a week, but those first few years I didn’t stop. In fact, I didn’t have a holiday until 2006."

From there, little by little, GAOC began reshaping dental health in the Philippines. As well as the premium GAOC clinics, its Novodental offering continues to grow, with 20 branches and counting. GAOC Group is now also further expanding into the healthcare sector with the impending launch of an imaging center, as well as a dermatology clinic.

The Samurai Dental Laboratory is the largest of its kind in the Philippines, servicing over 4,500 clients, and GanTech Industries, the distribution arm of the business, represents 35 brands and counting.

Pursuit of excellence

Over the next five years, expansion will be a key focus area, with the aim to build 100 Novodental branches and 10 new Children Dental Centers.

"We carry and offer the most superior products and services," Gan says.

"The Philippines is a third world country, and Filipinos are educated, intelligent and creative people. But when it comes to technology, that’s where we’re lacking. So this is the time for me to give back.

"At my GAOC Academy, and with GanTech Industries distribution, we are now able to bring world-class dentists from all over the world to the Philippines to teach and share their knowledge with our dentists."

At GAOC, there is a constant pursuit for excellence present in every single aspect of the organization.

"I strive for perfection," he says. "I like to set the bar, like we have since 2001. To be very blunt, I don’t see anybody as a competitor in the Philippines right now – we are in a class of our own. We are known for giving the right answers."

An emphasis on state-of-the-art equipment also ensures that GAOC is at the absolute forefront of technological advancements in order to offer their patients a premium level of care.

"We spare no expense when it comes to investing in equipment," Gan continues. "We are already part of an R&D development company that is working on AI and robotics, and we also train our dentists, dental assistants and technicians at the highest possible level."

Consistency, communication and commitment

For Gan, it was also essential to establish a cohesive corporate culture that would guarantee all employees aligned with the values at the heart of GAOC.

"What makes us different is the three Cs – consistency, communication and commitment," he says.

"We are consistent in everything we do, with our investments, with our education and with our equipment. We have crystal clear communication, which is critical at every level, because if there is something lost in translation, we cannot optimize patient satisfaction. And, last but not least, is our commitment to achieve success."

Giving back has always been part of Gan’s philosophy, which has manifested in the creation of a foundation that offers cleft surgeries as well as subsidized education for the next generation.

"In the Philippines, there are 2,000 children born with cleft palates and cleft lips every year, so we try to do our part to minimize those statistics," Gan says.

"We do 100 every year, and this year we’re shooting for 200 charity surgery cases. We also have a scholarship program where we offer subsidized college for employees’ children – it doesn’t have to be in dentistry, of course. It’s any course as long as they fit the criteria.

"Everything at GAOC is integrated and done with passion and excellence. I’m hoping to inspire others to follow in my footsteps. I like creating and building things, even though I’m still an oral surgeon."