Three women leaders share how they prioritize diversity and inclusion to further foster empowerment in the workplace.
For any organization, no matter the size or scale, it’s leadership that decides whether or not the organization achieves the best outcomes and goes to enjoy success—more so with an inclusive approach where everybody’s knowledge, skills, and experience are utilized. Women leaders in COCOLIFE know this truth and build upon it to drive the company to triumph.
From planning and ideating through decision-making and problem-solving, COCOLIFE’s Independent Director Carolina G. Diangco; Senior Vice-President and Chief Actuary Trinna Bernardino; and Senior Vice-President and Head of Group Marketing Maricar Mangulabnan, take pride in their individual leadership styles.
The Pedagogical Prime Mover
Now an incumbent member of COCOLIFE Board of Directors, Carolina Diangco has long been a distinguished leader. But like any ordinary employee, she started her career as a rank-and-file employee. “Then I was a supervisor, then a manager, then a department head, until I was elected as a director in 1998,” she recalls. “I believe it was my persistent desire for continuous improvement that became my leverage.”
So, be that through formal education or field experience, Carolina made it to a point that she learned—every step of the way. “You should be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and make them your opportunities for growth,” shares COCOLIFE’s longest serving female board member. “Regardless if you’re a man or a woman, you should develop confidence in the areas where your knowledge and ideas are valuable.”
“In COCOLIFE, we encourage and fully support our people who want to pursue higher studies. They get to hone their innate abilities. So, hesitancy is replaced with assertiveness, and self-doubt with new found self-assurance, both of which are desirable qualities that one needs to acquire to succeed in their field of expertise,” she further explains.
The Sovereign Skipper
As of this writing, Maricar Mangulabnan is currently the Senior Vice President and Head of the Group Marketing Division. She brings with her years of experience in group insurance and business development.
When stirring her ship to the right direction, Maricar prefers a good mix of strategy and democracy. With the company’s goals and objectives in mind, she exercises clarity in directing her team and, at the same time, promotes a collaborative working environment. “Instead of commanding my team and telling them how to get the tasks done, I’d rather encourage them to share their thoughts on how to go about the task at hand and come up with the best approach in achieving the team’s goal,” says Maricar.
Even as the Head of Group Marketing, she admits that she cannot do everything and be anywhere all at the same time. For her, the strategy lies in giving team members space and allowing them to manage and perform their best, all while making sure she’s within reach for guidance and support. “Exercising some freedom at work boosts group morale; giving team-members a sense of fulfillment knowing that they are heard and appreciated for their contributions,” Maricar explains.
The Trusting Steward
Maria Katarina Bernardino, Trinna to her colleagues, counts on her knowledge and expertise in finance, investments, strategic planning, actuarial, and risks. All of these she acquired in her nearly 20 years of working in the industry. And as cliché as it may sound, COCOLIFE’s Chief Actuary is the type of leader who always ensures that the people she is working with get a good grasp of what their tasks entail.
In her team, it’s vital to always uplift morale and reward priceless insights. “Be generous by letting everyone know [about] the goal and by working with all of them in finding a common denominator to achieve [the goal’s] success,” she figures. This is how she is able to foster a culture where people can join round table discussions and take ownership of team’s success. With enthusiasm, she further shares that “[leadership] is really about what we do everyday and how we use our lives to be a light in someone else’s. Through transparency in experiences, learnings, and suggestions, people feel more valued and are fueled by the energy of work that ultimately leads to collaborative and more impactful results.”
Because the stakes are always high in the banking and finance industry, many would probably ask her why reserve a seat for everyone on the table. Trinna has a simple answer to this: trust. “In the workplace, competence is a personal business card, but trust is an eternal pass.” She further notes, “I trust them to commit and deliver the company’s vision; likewise, they trust that they can rely on my risk optimized decisions and endless support which imbibe the quality that COCOLIFE leadership stands for.”
COCOLIFE is consistently the country’s number one Filipino-owned stock life insurance company. With customizable plans, COCOLIFE gives Filipino families the financial freedom to live their dreams. For partnerships and updates, visit their official website.
Photography DENNIS JOSEPH SULIT
Creative Direction NIEL JHED IBAY and ROANNA ALONZO
Art Direction NIEL JHED IBAY
Stylist MELANIE GUMATAY and VINCENT DACOY
Makeup JEARMAYN SEVILLA and CHRIS LOUISE BULAGAO
Hairstylist JAYSONE “JELLA” CAPISTRANO and CHRIS LOUISE BULAGAO
Shoot Coordination MAE SICAT and TONI CALINGASAN
Shot on Location COCOLIFE MAKATI HEADQUARTERS
