BAKER & McKenzie Global Services Manila (B&M GSM) Executive Director Gabriel Pardo is not much of a basketball fan, as he follows more the Formula 1 World Championship Racing and football’s World Cup.
However, he could not help but admire what Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen has achieved in their careers.
To him, what those two basketball greats have done and accomplished played a major role in the six championships the famed Chicago Bulls team won in the 1990s.
“I am a huge fan of Jordan and Pippen. I want my team to be as competitive as they were. Their leadership is hard to match,” Pardo said.
Taking over B&M GSM two-and-a-half years ago, he has seen the company grow as it serves its 77 law offices and clients from across multiple industries.
The success of GSM, one of three B&M-shared services, including those in Belfast and Chicago, can be traced to the culture the company has cultivated since it started operations in the Philippines in 2000 and to the current leadership Pardo brings.
Pardo, who has been part of B&M for 15 years, said there is a fantastic opportunity for growth once an individual becomes part of the company.
A firsthand view of the boom
Pardo has been a constant visitor of the Philippines since 2001, when GSM opened in in the country. They were one of the first to have an office in the then-open spaced Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
“I used to go travel to the Philippines once or twice a year. The Fort back then was just an empty land, except for Net One, Pacific Plaza and The Fort Strip,” Pardo said in remembering the beginnings of Taguig’s central business district.
According to Pardo, with each year that he comes over to the country, new buildings have risen inside BGC.
“It is hard to recognize the place now. BGC grew at the same pace as the Philippine economy,” he said.
It is the same robust growth that GSM has experienced since it started operations in the country 15 years ago, with only five employees to its current roster of more than 850 staff, which made them the largest location for B&M in terms of shared services.
A hybrid business-process outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge-process outsourcing (KPO).
It now offers a broad range of services including billing and finance, business development, document support, human-resource management, intellectual property, knowledge management, marketing and various technological supports for companies in various industries.
“The proof of confidence in the country is that we continue to grow 15 percent annually,” Pardo said.
He said the talent pool in the country has continuously expanded to a point that there are now 200,000 new graduates annually on the average which various industries can tap.
Pardo believes the Philippines will continue to see continued growth in the BPO and KPO industries, as both have exceeded expectations every year.
Pardo said, even if India has a pipeline that is 10 times bigger than the Philippines, while Indonesia and Vietnam are getting more aggressive in attracting investment in the industry, the country would remain ahead if it invests in people.
Creating a healthywork environment
While B&M has long been known as an employer of choice, Gabriel has been credited for further enhancing GSM’s employee satisfaction, productivity and career progression.
Pardo explained that if a company were committed to its people then it would see them produce positive results.
“We are committed to the development of our staff. Their loyalty and dedication is important to us,” he said.
Pardo cited as an example their “employee No. 1,” who, to this day, still works with them as a document management manager. He also said it is normal for them to see individuals stay with the company anywhere between seven to 12 years.
“Our attrition rate is only at 12 percent. We want to keep people. There is positive reinforcement,” he said.
And part of the way the company keeps its people is by allowing their employees to come to the office at their most convenient time.
“There is no punch in and out. We have trust and accountability. They can come in as needed. We treat them as professionals. What matters is what they produce,” Pardo said, while adding that their staff has taken advantage of their flexi time schedule to enjoy longer time with their families.
However, Pardo said they are looking for specific type of employees for the company and that talent alone is not enough.
“The key is talent, leadership, ambition and understanding of the big picture where they need to excel not only in the Philippines,” Pardo said.
Once part of GSM, the company provides its staff with 20 training sessions yearly from project management to leadership training to make them well-rounded individuals.
As individual careers progress inside GSM, the opportunity to work in other B&M offices worldwide also opens. Pardo cited as an example their internal auditor before who now holds a key executive position in B&M’s Asia-Pacific operations.
“People appreciate growth opportunities. We set ambitious goals and help them,” he said.
Pardo said of their previous staff are now working in Canada, United States, Ireland and Singapore.
At the same time, he also said some of them were also assigned overseas for several months and returned to the country with expanded knowledge and skill set.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for exposure. We want them to bring it back to the country,” he said.
Pardo said that he has been widely impressed with his team here in the country, describing them as fast, productive and engaged.
Staying put
Having been in the country since 2014, Pardo said he does not see himself going back to the cold Chicago weather.
“I do not want to go back,” Pardo quipped, while adding that his wife and two children are living with him and are absolutely enjoying everything the country has to offer.
Pardo, who is in the office by 7 a.m., said away from work, he spends all of his free time with his family.
He said they have been doing a lot of biking and swimming, while visiting places in Baguio, Batangas, Cavite and Pampanga.
Pardo said he enjoys a lot of the dishes here in the country, but crispy pata is the best for him by far. However, Pardo said he is not brave enough to eat the balut and admitted sheepishly that he has not set foot inside a Jollibee fast-food outlet, yet.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano