PLDT Group has announced a management shakeup, as the Philippines incumbent pushes aggressively into the digital service arena for new growth.
The telco has appointed Winston L. Damarillo as its new chief strategy officer with immediate effect. Damarillo will be instrumental in developing, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives of PLDT Group. He is also president/CEO of Talas, the group's big data unit.
Joachim Horn is now the chief technology and integration advisor to lead the group’s entire network and information technology domains. Horn has over 30 years of experience in telecommunications, having worked at Siemens, T-Mobile, Bharti Airtel and Tele2 in Sweden.
Smart founder Orlando B. Vea will lead and drive the group’s digital business unit in his new role as president/CEO of Voyager Innovations and its subsidiaries. Voyager is the group's unit focused on creating and delivering digitally-centric products and services.
Also the group's media resources will now become part of Voyager. Emmanuel Ramon C. Lorenzana, president/CEO of Mediaquest, TV 5 and Cignal TV, is now the head of the multimedia vertical. He will work closely with Vea to chart this digital course.
According to a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, PLDT said its board of directors has also approved the following changes in the organization, effective May 18:
Smart CFO Anabelle L. Chua has been appointed CFO for the PLDT Group. She will continue to concurrently hold her position of senior vice president for corporate finance at PLDT.
June Cheryl A. Cabal-Revilla will become CFO for Smart and DMPI/Sun Cellular and PLDT Group controller, concurrent with her present assignment as PLDT's head of financial reporting and controllership.
Leo I. Posadas will be appointed treasurer of the PLDT Group concurrent with his position as head of treasury center of PLDT.
Charles A. Lim, currently executive vice president/head for individual wireless business, will be tasked to establish and head the wireless strategic investments and acquisition group. Lim was responsible for growing the individual postpaid, broadband and mobile internet business.
Isaias P. Fermin, currently executive vice president/head for PLDT home, will expand his role to assume leadership of the entire consumer business.
The management revamp comes as PLDT saw its core net profit for the first quarter decline 5%.
“These changes will enable the various business units of PLDT and its subsidiaries to be more customer-focused as well as more effectively harness the resources of the entire group to develop and deliver relevant, innovative services to its customers,” PLDT said.