Creating a ‘globe of good’
By Deb Soriano
When Ernest Cu ’84 MBA took on the role of deputy CEO at Globe Telecom, Inc. in 2008, the company was a distant second in a three-player telecommunications market in the Philippines.
Under Cu’s leadership – he was appointed president and CEO in 2009 – Globe has become the No. 1 mobile brand in the country and has expanded into the broader tech sphere, which includes Globe’s popular mobile wallet service, GCash.
Cu was named the Best CEO in Telecom in the Philippines by the London-based The Global Economics Limited in 2022, the latest in a string of “best CEO” accolades.
“We have transformed into a full-fledged tech company, with a newly identified purpose: to uplift the lives of Filipinos through digital technology,” Cu says.
In the early 1980s, Cu decided to pursue an MBA at Kellogg in order to capitalize on his entrepreneurial spirit. He had been exposed to business at an early age because of his father’s automotive air conditioning business. After studying engineering as an undergraduate in the Philippines, he made his first trip to the U.S. when he enrolled in the program at Northwestern University. Cu recalls being “overwhelmed” by fellow students who already had experience at established companies.
“It was an intimidating yet transformative experience,” he says. “It made me realize that everyone brought something unique to the table and that diversity of thought was crucial for innovation.”
After graduation, Cu took at job at Bank of America, where he was exposed to the information technology industry, and then took his first steps into entrepreneurship in the digital printing industry.
In 1997, Cu was offered the position of president and CEO at SPi, a business process outsourcing (BPO) company with 30 employees. Cu helped the company grow to 900 employees and is considered one of the founding fathers of BPO in the Philippines, now one of the world’s largest outsourcing destinations.
When Cu joined Globe in 2008, he undertook a total transformation of company culture, prioritizing employee well-being and a customer-centric mindset.
"Seeing our customers as our ‘North Star’ has been part of Globe’s DNA,” he says.
Recognizing the rise of a digitally-based culture, Globe sought out partnerships with some of the world's biggest brands — Disney, HBO, Netflix, Spotify and more. Cu says that beyond business growth, he and Globe’s leaders are committed to positively impacting its customers and society at large.
“We didn't just want to remain at the top; we desired to make a difference while being there," Cu says. “Ultimately, we discovered our new purpose was to create a ‘Globe of Good.’”
The company partnered with Ant Financial to create GCash, which now has millions of users on its platform. A common phrase in Filipino households and businesses is, “i-GCash mo na yan,” which translates to, “just GCash it.”
“We’ve managed to create a platform that’s addressing the need for financial inclusion in the Phillipines,” Cu says.
Globe is now partnering with Kellogg Executive Education to run an innovation-focused management accelerator for Globe’s employees, combining both virtual and in-person live programming in the Philippines. Kellogg faculty involved include Dan Kraemer, Mohanbir Sawhney, Robert Wolcott, Birju Shah, Mitchell Petersen and Achal Basamboo.
In choosing to partner with Kellogg, Cu says what stood out to him was the school’s ability to customize the training to Globe’s specific business needs.
“We understand that to sustain our growth and innovation, we need to constantly invest in our most valuable resource — our people,” Cu says. “This program is part of our strategic approach to empowering our employees and providing them with the necessary tools, skills, and mindset to grow and lead.”
Read next: 5 leadership lessons from KAYAK CEO Steve Hafner ’97 MBA