PLDT announces Napoleon Nazareno’s retirement, appoints new management heads
PLDT Group said Napoleon Nazareno, president and chief executive officer of PLDT and Smart Communications is retiring at the end of the year. Chairman of PLDT and Smart Communications, Manuel V. Pangilinan, will assume the position of president and CEO after the mandatory retirement of Nazareno effective December 31, 2015.
Nazareno will remain in the board of directors of PLDT until a replacement is named. He will also remain as non-executive director of Hong Kong-based First Pacific and a board member of Rocket Internet.
As well as the retirement of Nazareno, PLDT has also announced other senior management changes which will take effect by January 1, 2016 to accelerate the digital transformation as well as enhance the group’s technological capabilities.
Under executive vice president Ariel P. Fermin’s Consumer Division, which includes PLDT Home and the Wireless Group of Smart Communications, Sun Cellular and TNT, Katrina Luna-Abelarde takes on the role of Wireless Consumer Operations Head.
She will oversee marketing, sales and operations, including product development, analytics, customer care as well as credit and collection.
Oscar Reyes Jr., assumes the position of PLDT Home operations head, overseeing marketing, sales and operations, including product development, analytics, customer care and credit and collection.
Both Aberlardo and Reyes will report directly to Fermin.
Under PLDT EVP and ePLDT President and CEO Eric R Alberto’s Enterprise Division, Albert Mitchell Locsin will become head of SME Business, replacing Kat Luna.
Under Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn, PLDT undertook a major upgrade in all aspects of network and IT, especially in their re-organization and staffing.
The major elements to the Technology Organization are: Planning and Engineering, Build, Operations, Project Management, Service Platforms, and IT. A team of experienced staff and advisors, culled from internal Network staff and from global telco operators will assist Horn, PLDT said in the statement.
Additionally, Victorico P. Vargas of the recently formed Business Transformation Office (BTO) will be appointed as an officer of First Pacific Company (FPC) effective January 1, with the mandate of handling the business transformation efforts of companies within the FPC group.
As head of the BTO, he will drive the transformation-related activities of the PLDT Group, including the organization and human capital requirements of a digital company.
In this regard, the Chief Strategy Office (CSO) under Winston Damarillo and any other strategic transformation-related initiatives will be fused into the BTO.
Under Chief Strategy Advisor Winston Damarillo, the CSO will accelerate the telco’s digital platform and delivery initiatives to improve the consumer experience. PLDT Capital will likewise serve as an innovation gateway between Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and the Philippines.
Under Orlando B. Vea, CEO of Voyager, PLDT’s Digital Innovation Unit for New Businesses, Duane Williams has been named Voyager Group CFO.
Jun Calica remains as CFO for Voyager Philippines, reporting to Williams.
The appointments come months after the management reshuffle PLDT announced in May this year.