Loading ...By Tom S. Noda
Published in the CWP November 2009 issue
People, the very essence of an organization or nation is something that Rene De Guzman considers significant in all fields of endeavor. And the conviction served him well, all throughout his 25-year IT career.
Currently the vice president for IT services department of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines (NRCP), De Guzman reports to the company’s chief operating officer and is tasked to transform their IT department into an effective and efficient organization, delivering potential shared services in the industry through quality IT processes and controls.
At the onset of his career in 1984 as trainer at the Integrated Computer Systems Inc., a local computer distribution company, De Guzman slowly evolved into a “people centric” person – doing technical training for both company employees and its customers.
“Being able to work with people towards creating valuable results is important in any profession,” stresses De Guzman, who eventually became the company’s systems engineer leading the local area network (LAN) project.
He says his experience as systems engineer led him to assume a more responsible position at Far East Bank and Trust Co. (FEBTC) in 1988 as head of the office automation department (OAD), a position he held for almost five years. He led the department to deliver various PC Based applications to the bank’s different units.
De Guzman describes his service at FEBTC as “a defining moment” for his career in IT as well as being a manager.
“Teamwork at FEBTC was bountiful. When we started the OAD team, there were only three of us. My mentor and colleague Chito Dychioco even jokes during those times, we only needed a tricycle to go on an outing. By the time I left after about five years, we needed a big bus to fit the entire team,” recalls De Guzman.
In 1993, he did a stint with Alcatel Philippines for a year as product specialist where he contributed to the creation of the various interactive voice response systems (IVRS) applications for customers like Meralco and PCI Bank.
Afterwards, De Guzman had the opportunity to work with a multinational company called Janssen Pharmaceutica, a division of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Philippines Inc., and worked there for 14 years.
“The experience at Janssen gave me the rare opportunity to work in a truly global setting with extremely effective services,” he shares, adding that being its IT manager, he has actively and consistently partnered with the various business units of the Janssen organization, the J&J IT organization in general, and its business partners to deliver various tools that provide employees with accurate and actionable information. He functioned as the organization’s process excellence coordinator.
“Until now, I marvel at the efficiency of this organization (Janssen) that is worthy of being a global best practice benchmark. This organization helped me realize the true potential and benefits of excellence in leadership and processes,” he exclaims. “This same organization allowed me to travel in various parts of the world and learn from their practices, cultures and environments. This truly broadened my maturity and my perspectives.”
With all his experience, De Guzman only hopes to be able to share as much benefit to all his communities, especially his new community at NRCP.
“IT to me continues to be a very challenging career. I can see many people who can benefit and learn from the work that I do. This service to the community, I believe, is an important driver for me to continue doing what I do,” he says.
De Guzman advises that to be successful in IT, a person should have an insatiable capacity to learn new ideas and an unrelenting spirit to realize solutions.
“What you can do together with your colleagues would always be more than what you can accomplish alone. Therefore, it is important that you learn to be a teamworker,” De Guzman teaches. “In leadership, I find no better model other than leading by example. The decisiveness of a leader is oftentimes fruitful for group action so that it is also essential to develop this skill.”
TIDBITS
Age: 47
Civil Status: Single
Education: MBA (2007) and MSIM (2002), Ateneo de Manila University, Makati City; BSIE (1984), University of the Philippines, Quezon City.
Favorite Technology: Sports Technology
Philosophy in a nutshell: “Choose wisely and give wholeheartedly.”
Hobbies and Interests: Badminton, golf, bowling, scuba diving, tennis.
Your other longing besides IT: “Family and friends tell me to pursue a wife. If she runs too fast, I will settle to be a farmer instead.”
Possibly Related Posts:
Comments
No Responses to “People Person”