IN THIS digital era, anyone and everyone can create and post content online -- including CEOs and top executives. A popular means for sharing your thoughts online is through blogging. For companies, blogs are now an important channel for content. It is a means for executives to reach out to clients, employees, and other stakeholders in a more personal way.
How is the company coping with the pandemic? What's in store for clients? What is it doing to save our planet? How is it taking care of employees? Where is the company headed amid rapid technological and economic change?
Somehow, we wish we could get answers from the company's leaders themselves. BPI is trying to do just that. Recently, it launched a blog on its website where their own experts and executives share their ideas and insights on what matters to the bank and its stakeholders. It's not often that you see "blogger executives" in the banking industry. But here, they are in the BPI Insights blog.
The bank recently welcomed its new president and CEO, TG Limcaoco. What kind of leader is he? Where is he taking BPI now? In his inaugural blog post, TG talks about his priorities, especially his passion for the customer and how digitalization will play a key role in improving customer service.
"Banking is about helping our clients better understand their financial situation so they can take steps to secure their families' future," the CEO wrote.
You may be wondering about Covid-19 initiatives. Banking is an essential business and we can't simply shut it down without grave consequences. You can read on BPI's #VacctoNormal campaign as BPI Chief HR Officer Gina Eala gives her updates on how the bank is keeping its employees and clients safe.
"At this point, getting vaccinated is the most important thing for our employees," she said. "We also continue to encourage them to get vaccinated and to not be afraid so no one gets left behind in creating safe workplaces and homes." The bank has started vaccinating its employees in June and is currently on the road to making banking safer for everyone.
BPI Chief Sustainability Officer Maria Theresa "Tere" Marcial also shares her thoughts about saving the environment. It's not all about trees, she said. It's also about our seas, which covers around 70 percent of the earth. She expounds her arguments in her blog post "Going green is also about going blue".
Ms. Marcial is passionate about sustainable finance, too. She believes sustainable finance can aid the nation's post-pandemic economic recovery. "The local banking industry is in a unique position to play a vital role in the post-pandemic economic recovery by providing access to financing to the hardest-hit sectors, and also in transitioning to financing practices that encourage businesses to take sustainability into account," she wrote.
Digital natives, along with digital immigrants, will appreciate BPI Corporate Banking Head Juan Carlos L. Syquia's blog post on the country's digitalization in this pandemic economy. He calls for the participation of everyone in embracing digital transformation for breakthroughs in the nation's journey in going digital. And he advocates for more collaboration between banks and borrowers.
"Borrowers and banks are partners in many ways; both succeed together. This pandemic can be a catalyst for strengthening relationships as we ride out the same storm together and look forward to a better normal," he said.
There is something for savers and investors, too. BPI Family Savings Bank President Ginbee Go talks about being a "saver-for-life" and being a "life-saver" in her blog post about the importance of saving.
Clearly, blogs are a good way to communicate better with stakeholders in a more personal and authentic way. And at the same time, if you want a thought-provoking read or you simply want to stay informed or want to know what BPI's leaders think about, just go to this link: https://www.bpi.com.ph/media/insights.
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA) launches own podcast
JAZA, chairman of the Ayala conglomerate, has been a favorite interviewee of various business publications and networks, local and foreign. Recently, JAZA decided to switch roles and become the interviewer. Starting July 9, and monthly thereafter, JAZA will be featuring trailblazers who have added significant value to our country, especially the economy. JAZA's inaugural guest was Brian Cu, who talked about transforming the transportation sector. The podcast entitled #AfterSix was uploaded in YouTube and had, as of this writing, 178 thousand "Likes." Just click the following link to watch the first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu8CKltINiI&t=91s
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