An Interview with Mrs. Helen Marquez
ePLDT Ventus started only a few years ago, with nothing more than a dream, an idea and a lot of effort. When ePLDT Ventus began, we were lead by Mrs. Rose Montenegro, under whose leadership; Ventus grew to become one of the largest call centers in the Philippines. Now Mrs. Montenegro has opted for retirement, but leaves us in the capable hands of a new President and CEO: Mrs. Helen T. Marquez. As a new dawn of leadership arises, we pause to listen to some words from her and see what she has in store for us in the upcoming year:
How does it feel to be the head of ePLDT Ventus, one of the largest growing BPOs in the country?
Overwhelmingly great! BPO is a sunrise industry and considered as a major contributor in the economic growth of the country. ePLDT Ventus is considered as a premier company in this industry and it gives me so much honor to lead the group.
How are the first few months so far?
It’s always been a very hectic schedule for me. My objective is to understand the current state of the business from different perspectives such as customer’s perception of Ventus, operational challenges, human resources initiatives, how we compete in the market and quite a bit more. All in all it is tiring but fulfilling nonetheless.
What are the major challenges you have encountered so far?
Time. In as much as I would like to stretch my day, I can only do so much. I really would like to be near the people as much as possible so I can fully see Ventus from a CSR’s perspective. My role is to make sure that we take care of our people – equip them with the right skills and tools; motivate them to embrace our ideals of quality; and really make it easy for them to fulfill our commitments to our customers.
What about the major achievements?
My ability to blend with the existing leadership and culture of Ventus is a major achievement for me. The organization is very young, ambitious and dynamic. These symbiotic relationships allow me to deeply understand Ventus fast enough for us to make critical decisions.
What do you hope and dream for Ventus and its employees?
I have tremendous faith in the Filipino workforce. I believe that given the right planning we can command a greater respect from the global market. The maturity of the BPO industry would pave the way for us to get more meaningful and extensive work. I see Ventus, with our synergy with SPi, at the forefront of these developments.
Do you have any big plans for the people of Ventus this upcoming year?
We are now crafting our 2008 strategy. Again, I always remind the management team that our job is to make sure that we take care of our people. We are in a volume game, except for the fact that instead of equipment, we deal largely with human capital. We have to create an atmosphere wherein we will continue to be an employer of choice. 2008 will be a year of transformation. We are just one company. There’s only one Ventus. We will embrace best practices and our synergy initiatives across the enterprise. This is the only way we can survive this highly competitive industry.
Do you have any parting words for the people of Ventus?
It’s an honor to be part of the organization. As I visit different service delivery sites, I can’t help but be proud of great pool of talents on the floor! You are the greatest asset of the company, and rest assured that your well-being and growth is always our priority.