MANILA, Philippines – Globe Telecom has appointed a new deputy chief executive officer—Carl Raymond Cruz—who will be taking the post to be vacated by the service provider’s long-time CEO Ernest Cu, according to a stock exchange filing on Wednesday, October 23.
Cruz currently leads Airtel Nigeria, among the leading mobile network providers in Nigeria. According to his LinkedIn page, he has been its CEO and Managing Director (MD) since May 2023.
He brings with him over three decades of experience working in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.
Prior to dipping his toes in telecommunications, Cruz climbed the corporate ladder in Unilever from being a Sales Trainee in 1992 to becoming the managing director of Unilever West Africa and CEO and MD of Unilever Nigeria in 2020. He has led operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Francophone Africa and had various stints in Unilever in the Philippines, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and West Africa.
Globe cited Cruz for his “expertise in leading and transforming organizations in developing and emerging markets.” The 54-year-old graduated with a degree in Marketing Management from De La Salle University in 1992.
Cruz will take his post beginning January 1, 2025, and has also been nominated to Globe’s board of directors for election. He will report to Cu, who will remain Globe’s president and CEO until the service provider’s 2025 annual stockholders’ meeting.
Cu will be stepping down after 16 years. The multi-awarded CEO—recognized by Finance Asia and Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific, among others—joined Globe in October 2008 and was appointed as president and CEO less than a year later.
Globe credits Cu for steering the company to where it is now — from his contributions in its modernization projects, product innovations, and to developing its service-oriented culture.
Cu will remain chairman of 917Ventures, Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt), Kickstart Ventures, Inc. and STT GDC Philippines. – Rappler.com