Patricia Jacinto, Growth and Marketing Director, foodpanda Philippines
When the name foodpanda is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is food deliveries.
foodpanda is a leading delivery platform in Asia. It is operated by its parent company, Berlin-based food delivery giant Delivery Hero, present in more than 40 countries across five continents. In the Philippines, foodpanda has since grown to thousands of partner restaurants and shops to provide food, grocery, and on-demand delivery services nationwide.
Being in the tech industry, there is also the impression that foodpanda’s workforce is male-dominated. However, there is one employee in foodpanda that is making a big impact on the growth of the company and that is Patricia Jacinto, Growth and Marketing Director of foodpanda Philippines who previously held the position of Director for Operations.
Both roles have expanded Jacinto’s ability to manage the company’s end-to-end customer service, fleet, logistics, growth and operational strategies for driving innovative solutions and delivering an overall competitive stakeholder performance.
Before foodpanda, Jacinto was the Managing Director of GoGo Xpress at QuadX. She was also part of the Unilever team for six years, mainly focusing on supply chain and logistics operations. Joining the e-commerce space in 2017, her work has since focused on enabling e-commerce growth around the country.
No easy feat
Being a female in a male-dominated industry is no easy feat. It’s even more challenging if she holds a leadership position. According to Jacinto, her father was one of the people who motivated and inspired her to become a leader.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve been inclined to lead. It came naturally to me not just in my professional career but even before in school. So, I started quite early,” Jacinto related.
While there are relatively more females in the field of marketing, her career journey spanned different fields.
“It was hard coming in young and a female because people would question you. They’re not sure whether to take you seriously because many people, especially older males, feel they have a lot more experience, which they do. I don’t doubt that I learned a lot from them too,” she said.
Empowering leader
As a leader, Jacinto said she likes to empower her team. She gives her team “the driver’s seat and allows them to make decisions if they are capable.”
“This also means that they have to experience failure in order to learn. I believe failing is part of growing until you get to win. We’re on a journey of continuous improvement,” Jacinto said.
“I also like to have a very open atmosphere. It’s important for people in the team to feel secure. There’s none of that boss-staff hierarchy because everyone’s voice is equal and everyone has an opinion that they know matters. It could be a small or big idea, but everyone knows they have a seat at the table,” she added.
In addition to being assertive, Jacinto believes that women leaders like her should also give that same opportunity to assume leadership roles to fellow women.
This echoes the theme of the 2024 National Women’s Month Celebration which aims to capitalize on the theme “WE for gender equality and inclusive society.” It is a testament to the milestones achieved in closing gender gaps in the country and in gathering more support to the advocacy.
WE represents Women and Everyone, highlighting the collective responsibility for gender equality not solely resting on women but involving everyone. WE also symbolizes Women’s Empowerment, a goal achievable when various entities, ranging from agencies and institutions to private partners and duty-bearers at national and local levels, ensure women equal rights and opportunities.
“When I was in supply chain, an industry that’s made up of 70 percent men, most of the job applications you will get are from males. I deliberately ask for women applicants so that they get equal chance at employment,” Jacinto said.
Inspiration
She pointed out that she was very fortunate that her boss was a woman who “inspired me and made me think it was possible” to be part of the leadership team.
“She paved the way for me to think I could do all these things. I want to be able to give that chance to other people. So I am very deliberate with interviewing and ensuring women have opportunities in male-dominated industries,” she said.
Jacinto said women leaders can contribute a great deal in their workplace, providing a balance and good perspective in discussions with their male colleagues.
“Things get more creative and a little more exciting when it comes to ideation and building big ideas,” she said.
Take up the challenge
When asked for her advice for women who want to make a difference, Jacinto said women should not be afraid “to take a seat at the table.”
“A woman leader who really inspired me is Sheryl Sandberg and her book ‘Lean In.’ It was influential when I was working in a male-dominated field in the supply chain. Be deliberate, have a seat, believe that you belong there, and speak up,” she said.
“Give your opinion whether or not people would take you seriously and make your presence known,” Jacinto added.
For those in women-dominated fields, Jacinto advised them to also give their male counterparts a chance to shine.
“At the end of the day, diversity is what’s going to help build great ideas. We have the role to empower women but also make sure there’s a balance,” Jacinto said.