30 Special Stories

A Strong Foundation for a Bright Future

“I don’t believe in discrimination based on the color of your skin or your surname. [When I started the company] I decided that we will be a complete meritocracy. In other words, the best person will succeed. And I kept that promise.”

The passion for harnessing new technologies and developing the best talent led SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. Founder Washington SyCip to start the Philippine arm of what is now one of the world’s largest consulting, technology and outsourcing companies. It was in the mid-’80s when SyCip saw the immense opportunity to introduce information technology to the Philippines, an unprecedented move that laid the foundation for Accenture in the Philippines.

“I met Andersen Worldwide by chance. At that time, all companies worldwide were sending people for training during the weekends or at night after work, when you’re dead tired. A client told me that there was this small Midwest firm (Andersen Worldwide) providing full-time training to employees. People thought this was crazy because this firm was hiring people and putting them on the payroll, but the company wasn’t getting any chargeable hours. They spent their time just training.

Washington “Wash” SyCip is the founder of SyCip Gorres & Velayo Co, the country’s largest multidisciplinary professional services firm. He was also instrumental in the formation of Accenture in the Philippines. Now retired, he focuses his energy on his life’s passion—providing education to underprivileged Filipino youth through CARD MRI and Synergeia Foundation.

“I went to Chicago to meet with Andersen Worldwide and asked if our people could join their training programs. They agreed, and we became the second company worldwide that went on full-time training. I could see then that what Andersen was doing, was what should be done. In 1983 or 1984, I felt that our people needed more training in IT. But at that time, there were no IT jobs in the country. I mentioned this to Andersen and they agreed to set up a training center in the Philippines and to help provide employment to our people through their contacts.

“By adopting full-time training, our people learned much faster and we went much farther ahead of all the firms here. It’s not by accident or luck, it’s just by sheer determination and

believing in your people. In my mind, if a person has the proper education and the proper training, he can achieve anything.”

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