CEO Insights Magazine

The business ecosystem is constantly changing and undergoing a great transformation with newer innovations in technology and growing global demand. Corporations across the world are executing technologically advanced business process systems that are making a great impact on the HR management practices inside an organization. Senior leaders, together with HR, lead capability and organization development in an inclusive and equitable environment for employees.

Ruby Jaucian, First Vice President of Aboitiz Power Corporation, is one of those experts in the HR sector who plays an active leadership role in business transformation. She works with business leaders and with the people, constantly empowering them with the understanding of their purpose and contributions to the team, which ultimately drives the growth of the corporation. The CEO Insights Asia magazine engaged in a conversation with her to know more about her professional journey and the value her organization is adding to the overall growth of the Philippines.

Tell us about your educational and professional background and how was your journey to the position you are at now.

I graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and after that went for three different career options until I finally landed in HR. I feel very lucky to have been employed by the Aboitiz Group which is one of the renowned business establishments in the Philippines. Earlier in my career I have worked with a team in developing e-commerce platforms, including an online ticketing platform for one of the largest passenger ships in this nation. While doing this, I took a course in Strategic Human Resource Management and receivedthe opportunity to work in HR. I left this company only to be invited to re-join in 2017 as Asst. Vice-President for Talent Management and now, I have been promoted to First Vice-President and Chief HR Officer of the Renewable Energy business.

What are your daily roles and responsibilities in the company and how do you ensure an appropriate working environment in the corporation?

As a HR leader, my role is to partner with business leaders in ensuring that we have the right people, culture and organization so that we can make an impact to the lives of the Filipino people by providing them with sustainable sources of power. Our organization always wants to ensure that people is at the core of the business. My passion is aligned with the group in this case because I really care about people development and how we can collectively harness the strengths of individuals so we can make an impact to our community and to the nation. We have to consistently understand that we are part of something bigger than us and must care about the world that we live in. In HR, we create strategies to attract, optimize, engage and retain our talents and we have to do this in an agile and adaptive way, in order to realize the growth aspirations and purpose of the organization.

What would you opine on the current position of the company in the market on a native scale compared to the growth of this industry globally?

Aboitiz Power aims to continue to grow its renewable energy portfolio by 2030. It is aligned with the growing energy consumption of Philippines and also contributing to the economic recovery of the nation. In 2021, a group focused on renewable energy was formed to accelerate the growth of Aboitiz Power in the renewable energy sector. The demand for renewable energy is very huge and growing globally and there's a lot of things to be done in the renewable energy space. Aboitiz is in the forefront of this in Philippines. We are able to attract the right talents in organization so that they can help us achieve this aspiration.

How do you think are the HR operations of the organization in line with the organization’s business strategy?

People are always at the core of all our business operations. People are the ones who execute on the strategy of any business. For the HR department of any organization, it is imperative that we understand the drivers of the business and we are aligned with the strategy so that we can hire and engage high impact talents. We also help shape the culture of the organization to ensure that we are able to cultivate an environment that encourages innovation, flexibility and growth.

 What is the future that Aboitiz has planned for itself and how will be your role implemental in this case in the days to come?

The entire conglomerate is going through the great transformation and we would like to become the the first 'techglomerate'. In the near future, I will play active role in the business transformation of the group. I am very excited and looking forward to doing that. We are going to focus on high potential growth opportunities in the group. In order to do this, we need to havemore entrepreneurial, agile and open mindset. For our team members, we need to continuously enable them through capability building and ensure that we have a safe and inclusive environment. My responsibility will be to ensure that I contribute as a leader by starting to transform myself in the way that I think and work so I can model the right behaviours and coach others effectively, and implement innovations towards continuous progress and development.

Ruby Jaucian, First Vice President, Aboitiz Power Corporation

Ruby is a multi-awarded HR leader, having received several recognition in Asia and as one of the Top 30 Filipino Leaders to Follow on Linkedin. She specializes on organization development and talent management in an everchanging work environment. Ruby is passionate about learning and development, and is a coach and mentor to leaders and high potential talents.