[24]7.ai Philippines—one of the country’s major mover and shaker in customer experience software and services with the President and country manager Rienzi Ramirez is not stopping, continuing its streak as a multi-awarded business process outsourcing company.

The President

Rienzi has been in the BPO industry since 2001. He joined a local BPO in 2001 right out of school and worked his way up to Operations Director in 3 years. Post that, he joined the largest global BPO in 2003 and was part of the pioneer team and the first head of Operations to lead the largest US Telecommunications client of the company. 3 years later, he had an opportunity to start up 247.ai and has since grown the company to where they are today.

Formally trained with a BA in Quantitative Economics, [24]7.ai’s President and Country Manager Rienzi Ramirez also possesses two post graduate degrees – a Masters in Industrial Economics and an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines.

Transforming the BPO Landscape with AI Technology

“We are the only major player in the industry whose AI technology platform combines behavioral, transactional, and historical data to anticipate intent. Better intent prediction means better service. This is how AI technology boosts sales growth, enhances agent and customer experience, and, most of all, impacts metrics that matter most—the ROI and revenue of our partners, who are some of the world’s leading brands,” shared Rienzi Ramirez, [24]7.ai’s President and Country Manager.

[24]7.ai Philippines started its operations in 2006, with sites strategically located in the country’s leading business districts: in Makati, Mandaluyong, McKinley West, and Taguig City in Metro Manila; and, in Pampanga in Central Luzon. 

“We are constantly expanding our business to provide more opportunities to our fellow Filipinos.  To date, we are more than 4,000 strong,” Ramirez said.

Hence, in priding itself by continuously improving and innovating, [24]7.ai Philippines has not only received ALA honors, but also recently been inducted into the Circle of Excellence for the Asia CEO Awards for impeccable management.

True to form, the company’s “ability to generate ideas to improve and become better in what they do” made it Innomark Certified (2021-2023). Innomark is an international certification that certifies outstanding innovation through our stringent 8-D criteria. 

Know more about [24]7.ai Philippines on https://www.247.ai/.  

Investing in People, Opening Up Opportunities for Society

“As the leader of a people-based organization, I make significant investments in time and resources on staff development.  Furthermore, I believe that learning and development will pay off in the overall results and retention of the company’s top talents,” Ramirez explained, revealing [24]7.ai’s secret to success.

Rienzi Ramirez, Chief Delivery Officer for the Philippines, is an industry veteran. With more than 16 years of BPO operations experience in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia on top of his BS in Industrial Economics, MS in Industrial Economics, and MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, he has brought [24]7.ai to the fore of being a people-centered organization despite the global lockdowns.

As Rising Tiger

When ask about him being a rising tiger by the RT team, “To me, contributing to Nation Building through the private sector is us providing more opportunities to Filipinos to contribute and be impactful in the global stage. Today, having a voice, helping out and making it count is important to the workforce and as a company, we make sure that these things are felt by our employees. When they feel that they are in a company that allows them to represent their nationality and their country with pride,  it becomes meaningful and fulfilling work for them.”

“We’ve put our people at the center of what we do. Despite the ongoing pandemic, we’ve been certified as a Great Place To Work (2021-2022) company. COVID-19 has not derailed us from staying committed to the welfare of our employees even when most of the country’s workforce has been dramatically affected,” he explained.

Rienzi is making sure that the company understands the pandemic’s potential impact on employees’ livelihood, employees worked even harder to add more logos to their growing [24]7.ai family. And the cycle of blessings continues “with more new clients on board, more BPO opportunities are opened to people who have lost jobs from other industries.”

“Employees are the backbone of every organization.  They are the heart and core of what they do,” Ramirez affirmed.

 “What matters most is achieving mutual success with the people with whom he has built meaningful relationships,” he concluded.

The RT team sat down with Rienzi and sharing to you all his answers about the challenges and success personally and in Buisness.

What are your personal accomplishments that embody these characteristics?

• We showcase the Filipino talent on the global stage and we are able to show that our level of performance is world class, exceeding expectations and very comparable to other geographies. Our ability to communicate, empathize and see through our customers’ eyes make a memorable experience overall. It is only in the Philippines where culture and passion coming together creates service excellence that is unparalleled in the world – and that’s what we present to our clients.

Given these personal milestones, what has your company accomplished through you?

• Last December 2021, we have been certified as a Great Place to Work. We have benchmarked ourselves against the best workplaces around the globe. 90% of our employees in the Philippines have spoken. Our company culture is amazing and our Great Place to Work Certification has confirmed that we have a great workplace culture!

What has the pandemic taught you?

• The crisis taught me that our ability to adapt, be nimble and flexible will help us navigate through very volatile times. We went back to our core strength – which was our people and navigated through the crisis keeping in mind that as we invest in our core, our resilience will reflect on our overall performance. 

How did your company work around the limitations of the pandemic?

• In March 2020 or when the Enhanced Community Quarantine was announced in the country, Rienzi, together with the rest of the Senior Management team, quickly found solutions to combat the effects of the pandemic. Even at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, [24]7.ai remained strong and has stayed true to its commitment of looking after the welfare of its employees. Despite getting severely affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine, their centers have remained operational and continued to be open to employees who are able to report for work either by staying in or using our company shuttle. Given the company’s headcount during that time, the business revenue was impacted and the company was on the verge of letting go some of its people in order for the rest of the business to thrive. But Rienzi and his Senior Management Team made a stand to hold on and instead, offered solutions to avoid letting go of their valued people. The company initiated the Temporary Job Assignment Program that allowed the affected employees to continue providing for their families and with the help of our strong performance, the company was able to land additional wok-from-home accounts, providing more opportunities to its employees at a time when they really needed the company to be there for them.

[24]7.ai provided adequate support, safety, and comfort for those who chose to stay in their sites. They immediately purchased bunk beds and pillows, provided them with toiletries, gave out free meals at least 3x a day, took care of their laundry, and offered various engagement initiatives to help the employees go through the pandemic. Those who opted to go home daily were provided with a door-to-door shuttle service, ensuring their safety to and from work. Even when the Government already eased some of the quarantine restrictions, the company remained committed to its employees and has continued its on-site accommodation and shuttle service facilities. It boasts an online system tool – similar to online reservations – for their on-site accommodations and shuttle service facilities. This provides a seamless experience for the employees, making sure that all their bookings are properly documented and easily accessible, anytime and anywhere.

With the help of our own IT developers, they were also able to immediately deploy their app-based Health Declaration Survey, which made it easier for employees to access the daily health survey. Through this centralized system, our Occupational Health and Safety Team can easily detect and isolate those who have symptoms, creating a safe space for everyone.

They were also one of the firsts to offer Microsites. We set up mini [24]7.ai facilities outside Metro Manila to provide work opportunities for more employees. This way, those who are residing in Cavite and Rizal areas won’t have to travel all the way to the Metro Manila sites to be able to continue their #247Life. This was recognized by [24]7.ai Global as a very effective way to combat the restrictions – a model that has been also applied to various [24]7.ai locations around the globe.

The company also implemented strict Health and Sanitation protocols ensuring the safety of the workplace from the virus. The sites are disinfected regularly and have passed the standards during the surprise visit of various Government agencies in its sites. They also have various wellness programs such as free vitamins, facemasks, webinars on mental health, and 24/7 doctor/nurse rounds to ensure the welfare of the employees.

What are your personal values and strategies as a leader?

• I subscribe to honesty and integrity as a required leadership value to perform at the highest level of an organization. People just want authenticity in communication – they need to hear when we are doing well and when we’re not doing well so that helps people understand the context of things that happen around them and appreciate that they are part of the solution, and not the problem.

• Next up, I think Empowerment is a key trait in running a huge people organization. Accountability is built if people know they are empowered to make decisions for the good of the business so any leader needs to be empowering.

• Finally, a generous dose of resilience is needed for any leader during times like what we have recently. Time tested leaders are those who are able to stay resilient and are able to manage through high emotions across many different stakeholder groups.

How important is being recognized as a Rising Tiger to you and to your company?

• The recognition represents how our company has always gone beyond numbers and bottomline and has really contributed to individuals, families and most especially our country. At a time when most businesses have been severely impacted by the crisis, it’s a proud moment that our work is valued and that what we stand for as an organization can inspire others to do what’s right for the people, for the business and for country.

Any inspiring story about you and your company that you want to share with the public?

• In the last 2 years of crisis, the most inspiring people story we have is how all throughout the lockdowns, we never had to let go of people despite the reduction in business. At the same time, our people understood the challenges of managing costs and throughout that period, we had an strong spirit of voluntareeism where our employees were helping the business reduce costs by volunteering to work limited days instead of full 5 days of the week. That was truly inspiring.

Continuing the Asia Leaders Awards Legacy

Last year, The Asia Leaders Awards bestowed to the company the BPO of the year, the event keeps on continuing to be an avenue where companies and business leaders are recognized for their outstanding achievements and efforts to make their companies shine at the same time provide efficient and excellent services to the people. To date, the ALA is the largest business awards giving body in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia whose main objective is to promote the Philippines as a premier business hub and destination in Asia.