Welcome to … the Philippines!

AJ Quiambao is Senior Digital Manager in Marketing for the Philippines. In our latest "Welcome to ..." story, he explains what it´s like to work for Beiersdorf in the Philippines and gives some insights in the work culture. 

AJ: I have only been with Beiersdorf for a few months but it already feels like I’ve known the people here for a long time. My biggest worry coming from a local company with a family-centric culture was that I might have difficulties adjusting to the environment of a multinational company. But I am glad that I was able to settle in right away – the people have been nothing but warm and accommodating.

The group is also relatively small – there are just 32 employees at the moment. As an affiliate, we’re also new. The company was under Beiersdorf Singapore since early 2000 and became an affiliate only recently in 2014. But make no mistake: the group is comprised of employees who are veterans in their own fields. And what we lack in number, we more than compensate for with hard work, efficiency and agility. It’s a very dynamic and collaborative group. And although everyone strives for excellence and we do push each other to do our best, we do it in a fun and respectful manner.

Speaking of fun, I just recently went surfing with some of my colleagues to one of the popular surfing spots here in the country. And that’s what’s good about working here in the Philippines. You can find a nice beach just an hour away from the city if you do want to recharge.

We try to go out if we can, especially on a Friday night to unwind by having dinner and grabbing a few drinks. And because our office’s location is in Bonifacio Global City, a centrally located area that is both a business district and a happening place (it is where most new restaurants and the popular clubs are), it’s very easy to go out and everything’s just walking distance.

Currently, I work closely with the Marketing and Shopping & Customer Marketing teams. Given the integral role of digital in our marketing initiatives, I collaborate with all the brand teams for all their campaigns. It can be challenging at times, given the number of campaigns that we are working on but more than anything, it’s very exciting. Everyone’s so passionate about bringing the brand to new heights and it seems the more aggressive the competition gets, the more passionate we become. The sense of ownership for each of our deliverables and projects is very strong.

I’m currently at a point in my life where I’m open to trying out new things and being adventurous. This is one of the reasons why I took on this job at Beiersdorf because I believe it will provide me the challenges I need to learn and grow, both at work and in my personal life. It was a hard decision at that time given up my long tenure in my previous company. But I have always believed that life is too short to be in your comfort zone. As one famous athlete said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.