To give significant insights into today’s pandemic-challenged businesses, Southwestern University PHINMA’s B-School once again held Business Next Forum on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The event gathered business leaders, entrepreneurs, industry practitioners, and mentors including those from the academe, students taking up business, and those aspiring to build their own business.
SWU PHINMA through its Business School launched Business Next Forum in October 2019 with Accenture Philippines Country Managing Director, Lito Tayag as a guest speaker on “Digital Transformation: The “Wise Pivot”.
In this year’s forum, seasoned IT professional Aileen Judan – Jiao, President and Country General Manager of the tech giant IBM Philippines, an Information Technology organization that serves domestic and international clients, talked about “Big Data and Analytics for Value Creation and Business Insights”.
In her talk, Jiao emphasized the relevance and impact of Big Data and Analytics on business and people.
According to Jiao, “data is the new currency and every company must be a data company”, to remain relevant and competitive under any circumstance.
The ideas presented stimulated the business sector of Cebu, led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to use and exploit data analytics in making data-driven decisions for sound business outcomes. In response to IBM’s presentation, Felix Taguiam, President of CCCI, said that the benefits of Big Data & Analytics include a strategic marketing approach, new revenue opportunities, customer personification, and improved operational efficacy that will provide competitive advantages to
businesses.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the only Chamber of Commerce outside Metro Manila with an ISO Certification, is one of SWU PHINMA B-School’s industry partners in transforming business students into competent future business leaders and professionals.
(From left to right) Aileen Judan – Jiao, President & Country General Manager – IBM Philippines; Chito B. Salazar, President – SWU PHINMA; Felix Taguiam, President – Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry (above) Daniel Saracin, Dean – SWU PHINMA B-School; Albert L. Gamboa, EVP & COO – SWU PHINMA (below) during the Business Next Forum.
Dr. Chito Salazar, the President of Southwestern University PHINMA reiterated in his closing remarks that Business Next is another platform of the university to bridge the gap between the academe and industry. Salazar said that SWU structured a business program to maximize partnerships with the industry like the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and IBM Philippines in exposing students to people who are practitioners in the business. This is part of SWU PHINMA B-School’s thrust in guiding students to become the best so they can land the best possible job and rise to the peak of their profession.
With the timely Business Next topics, Aileen Judan – Jiao commended SWU PHINMA for having the foresight in bringing significant discussions which present real scenarios in the business world including the necessary shifts in the way business is done.