Developing talent pool critical for Cebu BPO industry

Christophe Calligaro, Lexmark Shared Service Center director and Heiko Nitsche, president and CEO of the Daimler Group Services Phils Inc. emphasize the importance of Cebu’s labor force. (CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

DEVELOPING and maintaining a skilled labor force remains critical for fueling growth in Cebu’s business process outsourcing (BPO) and shared services industries, top business leaders said yesterday.

In yesterday’s forum of the Cebu Information Communications Technology-Business Process Management (ICT/BPM) Conference held at the Marco Polo Plaza, Lexmark Shared Services Center director Christophe Calligaro said they invested in their personnel through training.

“Lexmark now has at least 2,000 people working under Lexmark R and D Corp and LSSC. The Cebu LSSC alone is responsible for the five million transactions that support our global operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

Calligaro said their Cebu center which began in 2006 makes up 20 percent of their global work force.

He said they spent P15 million in trainings alone and partnered with local schools to ensure their own talent pool.

Growth

Daimler Group Services Philippines, Inc., another shared services center provide support processes for Mercedes Benz and needs people who can speak other languages like German.

Daimler president and cheif executive officer Heiko Nitsche said they opened two years ago and employ 200 people in Cebu.

“The kind of talent, loyalty, level of service has been very impressive but we are also in need of those who can speak other languages. This is a growth area where we can move to if only we can find the talent here,” Nitsche said.

Aditya Wadhani, Manulife Business Processing Services Cebu Site chief, said they are now looking at Cebu as a great opportunity area for growth.

Important role

“Right now we have 3,000 people in Manila which started at only 50 people simply because we can’t find the right talent set in the US. Now that has grown after the head office saw the capacity of our talents here,” he said.

The shared services sector comprises 15 percent of the BPO industry and generates US $3 billion in revenues, said Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) senior executive director Gigi Virata.

Nitsche said the academe has a very important role in helping fuel more growth for the sector.

“I think the academe has to gear up and take a more proactive role. Look at what the industry needs and help produce these needed skills,” he said.