Converge Women #BreaktheBias in the ICT world

In the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) field, it’s rare to see a balance between the sexes in terms of representation and authority but Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. is setting an example of gender equality and redefining what is ‘shared leadership”.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the top management of the Converge. The founding of the fastest growing fiber broadband company in the Philippines is credited not just to CEO Dennis Anthony Uy, but also to his wife, company President and Chief Resource Officer Maria Grace Y. Uy. Apart from managing the finances and operations of Converge, Mrs. Uy is also a very active and strong voice in the Converge Board of Directors.

“In Converge, we always make sure to give equal opportunity to both men and women. In fact, we announced early last year the appointment of two women leaders who headed our finance team (Tintin Blabagno) and compliance and data protection team (Atty. Laurice Tuason). We strongly believe, which many studies also suggest, that having women in the workplace improves an organization’s performance,” said Grace Uy.

“Raising three independent girls and being President and CRO at Converge, among my goals now is to empower my children and other women to speak out for themselves and make sure their voices are heard. I understand that not everyone has the platform to do so, thus, it’s important to help others,” she adds.

Diversity and inclusion are strategic enablers for Converge as the business is dependent on innovation. Through the diversity of thought and backgrounds, the company is able to bring new ideas to the table, challenge the status quo and create more value for our customers. While an inclusive workplace culture allows the company to attract and retain talent.

Equal representation is seen all around: major groups are put under women’s leadership at Converge and this equality is keenly felt:

Orange Ramirez, Marketing Director, shares how this is embedded in the work culture when hiring people: “We continuously aim to increase our female hires as part of our systemic efforts to ensure that we create a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. Our policy is not to discriminate against potential hires based on religion, race or gender, but to put emphasis on their skills and contributions.”

On the operations side, engineers dominate the workforce but even there, women find no trace of gender bias:

“Converge gives equal treatment to men and women. We don’t feel the difference here. Gender is not an issue in Converge. It actually helps to be female because we tend to be detail-oriented and organized,” said Rochelle Calopez, a data engineer in the Converge Reliance Data Center in Pasig.

Moreover, Converge takes the extra step to respect and recognize those in the LGBTQ+ group who identify as women.

“Trans women are women. Hindi tayo babae lang, babae tayo,” notes Tyler Olores, an openly trans woman working as a senior manager in Customer Service at Converge.

“One of the first things I experienced here in Converge was to be welcomed by the leadership team. Not just by Customer Experience group, but by the other executives and it struck me that they were able to get my pronouns correctly, which is very important for me. This made me feel that Converge is really the right place for me,” she adds.

This Women’s Month, Converge celebrates its women leaders and employees by leading the way in promoting gender equality in the workplace, proving that ICT is a place for women to thrive and succeed.

From left: Tyrel Olores (Senior Manager for Customer Service), Orange Ramirez (Director of Marketing), Jay-Anne Encarnado (Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations), Grace Uy (President and Chief Resource Officer), Atty. Elvira Oquendo (Director of Legal Division), Christine Blabagno (Deputy Chief Finance Officer and Treasurer), Atty. Laurice Tuason (Corporate Compliance Officer and Data Protection Officer) and Rochelle Calopez (Data Center Engineer).

About Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the leading pure fiber data network and internet service provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge is ISO 9001 and CE2.0 Certified.