Leveling Up Our Data Journey Together: Reimagining the Aboitiz Data Working Group

By Czarina Bastasa

Last February 1, 2024, the Great Transformation Technology Pillar relaunched the Data Working Group (DWG), in response to the Strategic Business Units’ inputs on their requirements to advance their respective data journeys.

Initially established in 2021, the DWG’s mission remained steadfast: to elevate the collective Data Journey Maturity of the Group by enhancing data strategy and implementation capabilities, fostering collaboration, and nurturing a culture of perpetual learning across the organization.

In line with the Year of ‘Becoming’, this initiative garnered the participation of data practitioners, decision makers, and privacy officers from 11 different Aboitiz business units. The focal point of the relaunch was the theme “An Introduction to Data Strategy and Governance,” a collaboration with the AEV Data Privacy Office to coincide with Data Privacy Day.

This forum served as an empowering platform for leaders and data practitioners alike, furnishing them with insights gleaned from global best practices. The aim was clear: to steer their thinking, design, implementation, and leadership within their own data journeys. Facilitating connections among stakeholders and fostering discussions on pertinent topics were integral to its mandate.

Delving into technical intricacies aligned with the monthly theme, each session delved into topics such as data quality tools, Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) pipeline strategies, and potential pitfalls to sidestep. Expertise was drawn from seasoned Team Leaders and Members, offering firsthand insights and practical lessons learned from delivering data projects.

Leveraging the shared experiences from the DWG and AEV’s Data Strategy, the Tech Pillar embarked on curating a robust playbook. This compendium would serve as a beacon of practical advice, showcasing diverse approaches and their real-world applicability for data practitioners across the Group.

GT2025 Tech Pillar Lead Wolfgang Merkt kicked off the event with an introduction to the new DWG plans and goals. This involves outlining the agenda for the  succeeding DWG sessions, highlighting: strategic keynote from an expert to help explore global best practices and options for leaders, interactive discussions among the group through sharing expertise, decisions, and learnings, and concluding with practical hands-on training for data practitioners.

Experts from various fields also attended the event to provide different perspectives and insights during the discussions. Meanwhile, the speakers all came from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from the AEV Data Privacy Office, the internationally renowned research and advisory firm Forrester, and the Philippine National Police.

Michele Goetz, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester, delivered insights on “Data Strategy Across the Globe”, and delved into the Five Data Architecture Strategies. She emphasized the evolving significance of data and artificial intelligence. She explained, “If data is the new oil, then artificial intelligence is the new high-performance engine for that data”. She also stressed that executive support, and ownership of data strategy is critical in moving forward with an organization’s data journey.

DWG members engaged in discussions with Forrester Executive Adviser John Brand regarding the benefits of aligning with global data strategy and regional compliance considerations. The session then shifted to collaboration with the AEV Data Privacy Office, led by Christine Kempeneers, who emphasized the importance of privacy rights while discussing and generating business values. “Data privacy is not about secrecy but the ability of the data subjects to control the access to their personal information.” She also underscored that the Data Privacy Officers are here not to prevent implementing use cases using data, but to ensure that we lawfully use the data to achieve our business goals. She strongly encouraged the SBUs to work with their Data Privacy Officers. Lastly, Engels Antonio highlighted data privacy and security measures in the National Government, stressing collaborative efforts to safeguard organizational data. These insights are crucial for DWG members to navigate regulatory landscapes and uphold data protection standards.

Mark Lagatao, AEV Assistant Vice President and Data Architect, closed the relaunch event with a recap and preview emphasizing how the session offered valuable insights that can contribute to the development of a robust data strategy.

We look forward to your collaboration, your sharing, and learning with you. We acknowledge that we are not the sole experts in this field; you may have insights on how to improve upon our ideas. Additionally, your real-world use cases within your organizations may offer valuable insights into how we can apply your approaches within our own work areas.

—Mark Lagatao, AVP Data Architect, AEV

The relaunch of the DWG was received well by attendees, with members sharing their enthusiasm and commitment to actively participate in the upcoming initiatives and discussions.

“It [DWG] helps the power distribution group better appreciate data strategy through collaboration and of course adhere to data privacy principles,” shared Ernie Villarin, Head of Legal Affairs of Visayan Electric.

“Looking forward to our next monthly DWG sessions. This is really a great venue or environment for sharing knowledge, implementing best practice, discussing challenges, and collaborating on strategies to improve data management for each BU/CSU,” said Efren Doren, Data Management Lead of SN Aboitiz Power.

“The updates and modern approaches on data architecture, practices, methodologies, even organizational setups, and how they fit towards an overarching data strategy could very well be the key elements we’ve been seeking to evolve our data productization and democratization efforts. The insights we’ve gotten from the session allows us to think about existing challenges in the bank differently – leading to actionable lessons,” said Wilfredo P. Montino Jr., Chief Data Officer of Unionbank of the Philippines.

“Overall, the session proved to be an enlightening experience, offering a fresh perspective on how to navigate the complexities of data management with innovative solutions,” he added.

The Data Working Group Relaunch represents a significant stride in our pursuit of cultivating data literacy across SBUs. It highlights the organization’s commitment not only to adapt but also to build a tradition of excellence, imagining a future where challenges inspire creative solutions and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the Aboitiz Group.

The Tech Pillar is excited to take the lead in fostering these discussions and strategic insights on data in collaboration with the different groups. Team Leaders and Members can look forward to a host of exciting and beneficial initiatives from the DWG in the months ahead!