ADI sees 40% growth in its workforce amid strong demand

TOKYO — Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI), the technology arm of the Aboitiz Group, is looking at growing its workforce by 30 to 40 percent in 2024 because of strong demand and opportunities for Filipino talent that can be leveraged on by industries as they shift towards digitalization.

Dr. David R. Hardoon, CEO Aboitiz Data Innovation

Dr. David R. Hardoon, ADI CEO, during a briefing with Filipino journalists, said they have 150 people now in the entire Aboitiz group, which  aims to become the first techglomerate in the Philippines by focusing on more modernized, inclusive, and technology-driven operations.

Of the 150 talent pool, 70 are directly under ADI and the rest are spread across various business units of the Aboitiz group. Hardoon served as a resource person for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Finance Task Force (FTF) meeting held here Tuesday, June 20.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this number will still grow by at least another 30-40 percent definitely within the next year,” said Hardoon of its existing 150 workforce.

“The reason we’ve been growing so rapidly, isn’t just because we’re trying to grow and hire people, is because the demand and opportunities are truly that I would say that is all going well,” he said.

He noted that the Philippines has enough talent considering its 110 million population. In terms of skills, he stressed, that the government and the private sector, even the academe, have been training people in mathematics, in core type of skills sets, that are necessary for industries.

The challenge in terms of skills of local talents has been over and companies have been leveraging on these people’s basic capabilities and knowledge they have learned from the universities.

He said they are creating opportunities for these new graduates to apply what they have learned in data science and AI skills rather than losing them overseas. “We have those needs, we have those opportunities, not just us, but others in the Philippines,” he added.

Hiring of IT talent is also driven by demand, which he said is genuine in terms of ultimately leading to revenue opportunities, operational efficiency, and risk management that are fulfilled or managed or achieved using data and AI.

He cited the fact that Filipino talent is in demand everywhere with every company having a Filipino working in their backend operation.

The meeting in Tokyo will serve as a prelude to ABAC III, which will be held at the NUSTAR Convention Center in Cebu City, Philippines from July 27 to 30, 2023. ABAC III will allow business leaders and private sector experts from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss and address the challenges and opportunities of sustainable growth and development.

ADI delivers cutting-edge data and AI solutions that create value and drive transformative outcomes for clients and the world. It seeks to empower businesses and governments to build their own data-driven journeys through tried and tested data science and AI frameworks and solutions.

Its team of experts leverages advanced data science techniques and a human-centric AI approach to develop solutions that are not only effective but also socially responsible.

(The article was originally published by BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT on Manila Bulletin.)