Marching towards Synergy and Transformation

Marching towards Synergy and Transformation


TEAM CITYSAVINGS: CitySavings Sales Rally inspirational speaker, Coach Chot Reyes rallies the team during the bank's Sales Rally last August 4 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu City.

We want! We can! We will! This was City Savings Bank's (CitySavings) battle cry that resonated during the 2019 Sales Rally at Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu City last August 4. More than 300 team leaders from sales and operations, the management team, and executives from UnionBank and other subsidiaries were united under the theme: Synergy and Transformation. The event served as a perfect mid-year activity to reboot the sales and operations troops into the final half of 2019 and end the year on a high mark.

"It was the best way to pump up everyone's energy. It was definitely an inspiring way to motivate them to reach our goals," shared CitySavings SVP - Sales Head Cathy Cheung. Participants spent a day learning and drawing inspiration from the bank's top honchos including keynote speaker former Gilas Pilipinas Coach Chot Reyes. Reyes emphasized the value of collective team effort as he shared the national basketball team's journey back in 2013 to win the FIBA Asia Championship and advance into the FIBA World Cup finals.

Change in Mindset

CitySavings Chief Operations Officer Dennis Matutina kicked off the sales rally on a high note, as he warmly welcomed everyone and anchored his message on the importance of change. "City Savings Bank needs to start a lot of changes. Change in the mindset - in the way we think, the way we work, the way we do things, and in the way we are organized. And when these are achieved, we will have bigger aspirations, larger client base, and impact larger communities" he said.

CitySavings Chief Operations Officer Dennis Matutina

A Good Year

UnionBank President and CEO and CitySavings Chairman of the Board Edwin Bautista commended the thrift bank's good performance despite the several business challenges recently, as he mentioned: "Yours is a turnaround story that I think generations of UnionBankers and CitySavings Bankers will talk about in the years to come".

Bautista also highlighted the significance of adapting to changes and having a higher purpose at work. "In this new age, we need to unlearn, we need to learn, and third we need to relearn. Let's do our best, not just for our families, not just for ourselves, but for our customers which we're committed to. That's why having a higher purpose is so important in sales."

UnionBank President and CEO and CitySavings Chairman of the Board Edwin Bautista

Building the Finest Mass Market Bank

CitySavings President and CEO Larry Ocampo expressed that he sees the bank as a great organization, owing to its Aboitiz heritage and UnionBank parentage. But more than anything, Ocampo said that the bank's main asset is its people, whom he described as amazing and who will champion CitySavings' transformation from being a fine savings bank into the finest mass market bank in the country.

"CitySavings has a broad, stable, and strong foundation upon which we can grow our existing lines more and expand into new segments. We have our values, integrity, customer-centricity, malasakit para sa Bangko, and a stellar reputation. We are market leaders" he shared.

CitySavings President and CEO Larry Ocampo

Gone Google

As part of the bank's digital transformation, CitySavings is the first Philippine bank to have ‘Gone Google' with the use of G-Suite, Google's cloud computing, productivity, and collaboration tools, software, and products.

"We needed something that could keep up with us. Something that could work given that most people are on the field and often remote areas of the country. Something that is easy to use yet powerful. Something that could help us work faster, smarter, and more collaboratively every day," said FVP - Chief Technology and Process Officer Martin Reyes as he formally launched G-Suite during the Sales Rally.

CitySavings FVP - Chief Technology and Process Officer Martin Reyes

Amazing Organization

FVP - Marketing Director Paula Joson, for her segment, delivered a moving presentation that showed the sales team's challenges to reach the bank's main clients, the teachers. Some had to cross rivers, traverse muddy and slippery trails, and even wade through floodwaters just to bring CitySavings closer to its clients. Joson clearly showed that booking a loan is an adventure all on its own.

"Every time I join an organization, I try to look at the business and try to know more about the products, services, culture, and I really thought that I found a lot of good things. And I thought, wow! This is really an amazing organization" she shared.

Joson also said that the marketing team continues to do its best to support sales by coming up with innovations geared towards making the sales team's lives easier. With this she launched Polaris, an app that enables the sales team to prioritize key areas for selling and collecting loans by having real-time access to customer data; Loan Ranger for Motorcycle Loans, the latest quick, seamless and paperless loan origination app; and Talk to Maria, the newest member of the CitySavings sales team, Maria answers product inquiries real-time, 24/7.

CitySavings FVP - Marketing Director Paula Joson

Keynote speech

Coach Chot Reyes delivered a powerful keynote message. He centered his talk on teamwork and shared that in every organization, there are leaders—the MVPs—but behind every MVP's success, are the hustlers, who don't get to share the limelight but who worked doubly hard to set the stage for the MVPs to shine.

He further said that the biggest hustlers never get to be celebrated, but as a coach, he knows their contribution to the team.

"If I don't point it out to you, you wouldn't even have noticed them (the hustler). Such is the nature of the hustle play. That is why it is our job, dear leaders to acknowledge and recognize and validate the value of our hustlers," he said.

"The real MVPs, they make others around them better. Your job as members of Team CitySavings is really to make the people around you better, the entire team, better," Reyes mentioned.

Good coaching, Reyes shared, is a science and an art. But what is more important is the heart - "Puso!", as what basketball pundits would say.

Keynote speaker Coach Chot Reyes

Synergy and Coming Together

This is the year where CitySavings strengthens its Motorcycle Loans business after the merger with PR Savings Bank. And what better way to introduce it to everyone than EVP - Managing Director for Motorcycle Loans Admiral Felix Angue (Ret.), arriving in style inside the ballroom in a big bike putting everyone on their feet.

Admiral Angue and Cheung explained the relevance of the Synergy and Coming Together activity using the eggs as a metaphor. Earlier in the day, the participants were divided into teams and were given supplies, which they used to create a vessel that will protect an egg that symbolizes their 2019 goals and targets. The teams ensured that the eggs will not break even if these are dropped from a high distance.

"The eggs symbolize our goals which we have to protect. Because they can get broken and they can also be stolen. Just like in business, we have to secure our successes and sustain it," they shared.

CitySavings SVP - Sales Head Cathy Cheung and CitySavings EVP - Managing Director for Motorcycle Loans Admiral Felix Angue (Ret.)

Strength in numbers

Unionbank EVP - Chief Mass Market and Financial Inclusion Executive Chut Santiago Jr. said that while every single person's role in an organization is critical, more can be accomplished if everyone works together.

"Alone we can do little, but together we can do so much. Sales is not just a number, it is an outcome. It is a function of doing numerous things. We have made strides but there is more to accomplish," Santiago said.

UnionBank EVP - Chief Mass Market and Financial Inclusion Executive Chut Santiago, Jr.

The future begins with U

Ending his speech, Bautista reminded everyone of the bank's goal: to build CitySavings into a bank of enduring greatness.

"Our goal is not just to build CitySavings into a great bank, which it already is. Our goal is to build CitySavings into a bank of enduring greatness. And I urge you to move on to the future and taking off from UnionBank's credo - the "future begins with U", and we will do this together because we want, we can, and we will!" he highlighted.

Recognizing the best

The Sales Rally ended with the team awards, where the top performers of 2018 were recognized. SVP - Human Resources Head Hannah Contreras said that they have continued a 20-year-old tradition of the bank of recognizing and celebrating CitySavings Bankers, who worked together as a team and made significant contributions to the bank and the communities it serves.

"Today, we say thank you to all of you who made 2018 a year to beat. The challenge, hard work, determination, and the achievements will all be recognized. You have all been exceptional and you have performed beyond what is expected of you" Contreras said.

Brand and Operational Excellence Awards Winners

Sales Excellence Award Winners