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| when BayanTrade was launched |
Recently, a
journalist asked me questions about my UPAA Award for “Leadership in IT
Development (Public and Private),” He felt that, as one of the pioneer women
leaders in technology, I could talk about whether the current environment
presents more opportunities for Filipinas than during the 80s, 90s, and early
2000s.
My Story
Looking
back, one of the pivotal moments in my leadership journey was when IBM asked
its Philippine subsidiary to enforce the equal opportunity employment program in full swing in the US.
I was then working
with an NCR spin-off (NCR was my first employer) selling second-hand accounting
machines and making lots of money. IBM invited me to become its first female
marketing representative.
That led to my
first management position as marketing manager at the Institute of Advanced
Computer Technology. From there I was invited to become VP of the Development
Academy of the Philippines, vice the Father of the Internet, Dr. Bill Torres.
Soon others sought
me to fill bigger leadership roles, “breaking the glass ceiling.” I was asked
to be the GM of Megalink, MD of SAP Philippines, and then President/CEO of
BayanTrade.
Invitations
to be Deputy Commissioner of the BIR and en banc consultant to the Comelec completed
my resume with more public sector experience.
I was lucky
that the Philippines has a tradition of women in leadership. At the same time,
organizations were looking for people who could become trailblazers since there
were still no examples of successful computerization.
My grit and determination to get things done must have begun to show. Having come from humble
beginnings, I developed a strong belief that nothing is impossible. That may have been the specific ability they needed to implement their pioneering projects.
The
Trend in Women Leadership
Leadership
involves multifaceted skills. Both men and women possess the qualities
necessary for effective leadership: communication, problem-solving,
decision-making, and emotional intelligence.
Thus, it is
not gender that is important. Rather, it is that people’s specific abilities are
matched to specific job requirements. And that they are allowed to advance to positions of power and influence.
Unfortunately,
as of 2023, women leaders have not yet risen to the same status as men. In the
US, women occupy approximately 27% of the seats in the US Congress, 8% of CEO
positions at Fortune 500 companies, and 36% of college presidencies.
In the
Philippines, women hold approximately 25% of seats in the Philippine House of
Representatives, the same as in the US. We fare better in the private sector: 20%
of CEOs are women. Data on academic leadership is limited and not
as good.
Studies have
found that traditional gender stereotypes can influence perceptions of
leadership. Women are often seen as more nurturing and compassionate, while men
are more decisive and assertive.
In our
culture, like others in the East, this has led to more of an earlier tradition of
women in leadership. This may be the reason we have better numbers of private
sector CEOs. However, I don’t understand why the academic sector is lagging.
The good
news is that research has consistently shown organizations with greater gender
diversity in leadership positions tend to outperform those with less diversity.
Opportunities for women in senior leadership positions are increasing.
Leadership
in the Technology Sector
What
concerns me, however, is a 2023 study by McKinsey. It found that in technology companies,
women in senior leadership such as CEOs and CTOs, have declined since 2017. The following factors have been cited as contributory:
stereotyping, lack of mentors, issues of work-life balance, and unconscious
bias.
The same thing may be true in the Philippines. I have only scant anecdotal
evidence though. During my time, women leaders like Marife Zamora, Riza Mantaring, and
Mariels Almeda Winhoffer rose to be CEOs of Convergys, Sun Life of Canada, and
IBM, respectively.
Unfortunately,
the first two entities have male leaders today. Even my seat in SAP is currently
occupied by a male. Only IBM Philippines still has a female leader in Aileen
Judab-Jiao.
But the Philippine
technology sector may be different from that of the US which is dominated by the
supply side. The US is the source of the
world’s major R&D in technology. The Philippine technology sector is
perhaps different and more demand-centric.
Companies
powered by technology such as Concentrix, GCash, Grab, Shopee, Lazada, etc., have
risen to prominence. A new crop of women tech leaders such as Rachel de Villa, Janette
Toral, and Jennifer Ligones have thus emerged.
Such a
business landscape presents a huge opportunity for women. They can dig deep
into their imagination and nurturing and compassionate traits. They are
uniquely positioned to exploit technology in services that could meet underserved
local needs. They can also export our workforce’s talent to meet global
demands.
The most
important thing to consider in choosing who to lead is that specific skills and
abilities must match the job requirements. The question of who is better suited is
not a matter of gender. It is a matter of merit and now, imagination, too.