Makati, Philippines (19 April 2018) – Asia Select, Inc., one of the leading human capital solutions firm in the country and the trusted education partner of SHRM in the Philippines, officiated the event for business leaders, PH CXO Executive Network 2018: People + Technology Forum at the Dusit Thani Manila, Poolside Pavillion Tent, Makati City. This event was supported by Asia Select’s event partners— SAP, Voyager Innovations Inc., and IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).
The event was able to gather over a hundred business leaders to discuss the increased globalization of the economy, the digital changes the workplace is undergoing, how competitiveness is ever present, and how the Philippines remains to be agile in managing businesses through people and tech advancement. In particular, they discussed how “malasakit” sets the Philippine talent as standouts in the global arena, including leveraging people and technology in driving business solutions.
CEO Agenda: PH Competitiveness in People + Technology
The first session was a sit-down interview between Dr. Bernie Villegas, renowned economist and a professor of global economics and Amor Maclang, Sr. Strategist and Chief Communications Officer of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc. Dr. Villegas presented a Philippine economic briefing and how a faster growth could be sustained through government consumptions and investments. He cited that high liquidity will continue due to high savings rates and how this trend leads to visible economic growth. Dr. Villegas concluded that the seven key industries are (1) agribusiness, (2) business process outsourcing and information technology, (3) creatives, (4) infrastructures, (5) manufacturing and logistics, (6) mining and (7) tourism and medical travel and retirement.
The next resource speaker was Rey Untal, the President and CEO of IBPAP. His topic was on how to leverage Filipino talent to promote the country’s competitive advantage at a time of digital disruption. He went on to discuss the important role of Filipino talents in promoting the country’s competitive advantage in the IT-BPM industry from the global marketplace and in overcoming challenges brought by digitization and disruptive technologies.
Untal was then followed by Arvie de Vera, Head of the FinTech Business Group at Unionbank. He started his talk by sharing with the participants how Fintech (Financial Technology) evolved, how much of the global economy is being funneled into the industry, and how companies today should adapt to the changes this revolutionary technology has brought about. He centered in on the point that we should embrace the changes rather than shy away from it and that organizations should do “coopetition”, a mix of cooperation and competition.
After de Vera’s discussion, Dindo Marzan, the Managing Director and Vice President for Marketing Technologies at Voyager Innovations Inc. was invited on stage. He featured the ‘internet of humanity’ and how people-centric technology benefits both employees and customers. Also, he referred that for technology to really impact the lives of Filipinos, they need to be both highly inclusive and relevant. To summarize, they need to make the lives of the users simpler rather than adding a complicated time-consuming process which has low to no impact on their lives.
Mike Frausing, Head of the International Business Group at Globe Telecom shared the vision of the company: A Philippines’ where families’ dreams come true, businesses flourish, and the nation is admired. He stated that Filipinos have a growing demand for wider internet access and better connectivity. As a telco company, Globe can leverage modern technologies, pervasive networks, faster internet speeds, and greater efficiency to improve the experience for everyone. This creates more happiness, time with family, and business efficiency; all to create positive change in the country.
Imee Centeno, the Senior Vice President at United Laboratories, showcased the company’s ‘Husay at Malasakit’ people strategy, how it made an impact to progressive business growth, and how it drove Unilab to become an industry leader and cement its dependability in the Asian region.
The event proceeded to the panel discussion after the speakers concluded their sessions, during which the executives bounced various issues regarding certain strategies, their pain points, and what they found most effective.
PeepTalk: Humanizing Data
Michelle Garcia, PMAP 2018’s President and HR Director at SGS, took the floor. She discussed “Humanizing Data” and its implications and impact to organizations. In particular, she pointed out that when it comes to organizational changes, HR professionals have excellent intuition. However, this needs to be backed up by data to ensure that the direction given is properly guided. She inserted that by doing this effectively, HR can add value to their organization.
HR is the New CEO: Developing Business Leadership through People + Technology Strategy
The afternoon session was initiated by Jacob Dalevi Artelius, Managing Director and Human Resources Lead at Accenture Operations Delivery Centers in the Philippines. He stated that in the age of artificial intelligence, business success will increasingly depend on people and innovation. It is imperative for businesses to act now and commit to Applied Intelligence – the ability to rapidly implement intelligent technology and human ingenuity across all parts of the business to solve complex problems and to generate entirely new revenue streams. He added that in the Philippines, Accenture is reworking the revolution by building a workforce culture that cultivates innovation and leads a talent-led approach towards unleashing people’s potential for impact and high performance.
Alpha Omega Aquino, former Managing Director of Teleperformance Indonesia, and an SHRM-SCP, followed suit by discussing her leadership experience in managing business operations in the SEA region and how HR certification empowered her people strategy abilities. She discussed her career shift from being CEO to gearing her career towards HR. She also emphasized how leaders should look for individuals who can cover their blind spots and how important it is for every professional to unlearn, learn, and relearn to keep up with the changes our society constantly experiences.
Hans Montenegro, Head of Operations, IT Delivery Centers at Manulife Financial Asia United shared the strategies that enabled him to fulfill his current role as COO. He discussed the pain points that HR professionals encounter, such as lack of “strategic” decision making, not having a “seat at the table”, and insufficiencies when addressing basic operational issues. In addition, he emphasized the need for HR professionals to step up by developing skills outside their field and how to effectively address problems that impede morale and productivity growth.
The afternoon’s panel discussion was moderated by Veronica Estrella, SHRM-SCP and the Head of Talent and Culture at ANZ Global Services and Operations. She opened the discussion by emphasizing the essential role of HR. On stage with her were the three speakers, Jacob Dalevi Artelius, Alpha Omega Aquino, and Hans Montenegro. In addition, they invited four reactors to the stage: Acie Arroyo Cruz, HR Director at IBPAP, Alex Gasmena, Country Managing Director at Pearson, Eric Riego de Dios, Human Resource Director at Baker McKenzie, and Mitch Guce, Vice President of PMAP.
Their overall panel discussion highlighted the changes the role of HR underwent; from transactional and functional, to strategic and becoming data-driven with a thorough understanding of day-to-day business operations. With HR practitioner’s ability to balance priorities and perspectives, while being data-driven and technologically inclined, along with having the aptitude for talent and culture management, HR Is well on its way to being the new CEO.
