Cu, who steps down in April this year after 16 years of leadership, briefly addressed the ongoing transition with industry veteran and former Unilever global executive Carl Raymond Cruz set to take over after the company's annual stockholders' meeting in April.
“The business remains to be very strong. He’s taking over a very sound company, and a lot of focus should be on fine-tuning the business rather than very major changes that should happen,” Cu said during a media briefing last week on the company’s 2024 financial results.
“More importantly, I think, is the preservation of company culture, which in Globe has been a big driver, a key driver of Globe’s success,” he added.
Town hall meeting, first day at Globe
Cruz, who assumed the role of deputy CEO before becoming the company’s chief executive, is a “very seasoned business executive,” Cu added.
“We have regular one-on-one sessions. There’s business onboarding that’s been going on. He’s been meeting regularly with the direct reports. We’re very aligned with regard to company culture and values. And so he’s been doing quite a bit of immersion in that as well,” Cu said.
Cruz also recently met with top executives at Ayala, the parent company of Globe. His first official day at work was actually last Thursday, Cu said.
“We had a town hall introduction for him that we’re in. Carl was welcomed in the company-wide town hall by the Globe people,” he said.
Cu to focus on GCash growth
Cu, who led Globe to the No. 1 spot in the competitive mobile segment, will remain chair of 917Ventures, Mynt (GCash’s holding company), and Kickstart Ventures.
He will also oversee data center operator STT GDC Philippines, which is aiming for 52 megawatts of capacity by 2026.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
