The making of a Wonder Woman

Assuming the top position at Yondu in 2014 did not happen overnight by sheer magic, although Joan’s talent and resolve were nothing short of having real superpowers. Glenn Estrella, vice president for Digital Ventures at Globe Telecom and a member of the Board of Directors at Yondu, could attest to this.

“During serious times, you need serious talent, and Joan is one such talent. [She] is tenacious, able to endure and push despite overwhelming odds. Her business unit practically drove the revenues for Yondu for the first four years,” Estrella said in a statement.

As head of the Technology Outsourcing Partners (TOP) from 2011 through 2014, Joan exceeded the year-on-year revenue target by at least 30 percent, resulting in a phenomenal company-wide performance since the acquisition of Globe Telecom. In recognition of TOP’s excellent service, Yondu was awarded “Globe Business Partner of the Year” in 2011. The following year, she received the Leadership Excellence Award.

Her promotion as TOP head led to a reorganization at Yondu, which consequently widened the unit’s scope of responsibilities in addition to generating revenues. Due to its success, the following teams were then moved under the TOP umbrella: Marketing, Product Management, Pre-Sales, Solutions Delivery and Recruitment.

“Joan is decisive, never to waste resources on things that don’t move the needle or has no strategic value… If she says she’ll do it, trust that it will get done and get done well,” Estrella said. “In Globe, we put our best people in our biggest opportunities. Joan has proven that principle to be true.”

Innovation is key

Prior to becoming the head of TOP, then the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Group, Joan served as its consultant from 2010 through 2011. She established the IT BPO division of Yondu and improved revenues for the company that it eventually became a new business unit. She had made this happen by expertly managing the vendor-client relationship, with Globe Telecom closing business deals across various levels in the organization.

“The thin line that separates a trailblazer and a mere follower is innovation,” she said.

This is Joan’s other secret. Her education at De La Salle University in Manila, where she earned an Economics degree in 1997, helped hone her innovative skills. Not resting on her laurels, Joan further enhanced her knowledge and expertise by attending dozens of seminars here and abroad.

Such trainings included “Lead to Inspire” at the Asian Institute of Management (2015), Mobile World Congress in Spain (2015), Strata Conference in the United States (2013), “Leadership Gold” – John Maxwell (2012), Innovations Training at Innosight (2012), Corporate Governance at PLDT (2007) and Entrepreneurship Program at Eastern Telecoms (1999), among others. “Sometimes it can be taxing if we just focus on what we are paid to do. Try looking pass that and see how your jobs can be an instrument to allow you to do the things that you love and make a difference in the lives even to a critical few. Once you appreciate that, your passion will naturally grow in anything that you decide to do as entrepreneurs,” Joan said.

Heroes of Marawi

As president and CEO, Joan increased the staffing business by 96 percent this year through their partnership with Accenture, and enabled a smooth transition when consumer technology firm Xurpas secured a 51-percent stake at Yondu. She also succeeded in winning the government bid with headcounts for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, winning the company’s first international application development project through Silverstreet and sustaining Yondu’s position as top Value-Added Services partner of Globe Telecom.

However, none of this may compare to the contribution made by Yondu in Marawi City. When Joan and her team ramped up the Mobile360 SMS platform during the first quarter of 2016, little did she know that it would instantly be utilized by the government, let alone in war-torn Marawi.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had launched its Text Hotline 1678 for the city’s residents, as well as those affected by the conflict with the Maute Group in surrounding areas. The hotline, powered by Mobile360, had enabled government forces to spread information faster and communicate with the people of Marawi, especially those in need of assistance. With the help of this project, trapped residents were taken out of critical areas and brought to safety.

This is the future that Joan sees, a future that Joaquin can be proud of. She may not be the real Diana of Themyscira, but Joan knows that she is in a position where she can make an enormous difference not just to her life, but also to people around her, even those as far as Leyte and Marawi City. Without a doubt, that makes her a real-life superhero.

Although being a stay-at-home mom makes a hero out of women, Joan knows she can be both a full-time mother and professional. With Joaquin by her side, she can do everything. “When the time comes, I’ll be imparting all my learnings to him,” she said. “That’d be my value as a mother.”