In the Spotlight: Geoffrey Guin – A Nordia talent living as an expat in the Philippines
This month, Geoffrey Guin, Vice President of Corporate Services at Quantrics, takes us behind the scenes of his expatriation to the Philippines.
I remember the heat. The archipelago's climate grabbed me as soon as I set foot on the tarmac. It wasn't my first trip to Asia, but for an Ontarian, April is more about last snows than heat and humidity.
I'd been working at Nordia for almost 12 years when the company acquired Quantrics, a CX contact centre and CX digital solutions provider located in Taytay. Such an ambitious project carries its share of risks, and the executive team had decided to send some willing members of the Canadian teams to facilitate the integration of our new business and welcome our Filipino colleagues.
I had already expressed my interest in the experience, and Nordia’s Expat program was already well rounded. A few interviews to asses my motivation, and in a blink of an eye (almost), I was on a plane to Manila! 16 hours later, I was settling into the furnished condo that Nordia had rented for me in a trendy and upscale neighborhood named BCG. Nordia had taken care of all the red tape involved in my move, and I was able to concentrate fully on discovering my new city!
Bonifacio Global City (BCG) area, Manila, Philippines
I started my career with Nordia as an agent, and gradually took over the leadership of various teams until my current role as Vice President of Corporate Services. But all this time, I only learned to manage Canadian teams. This expat experience transformed my vision of management, because it wasn't just a question of integrating a new team - which is never easy - but also of learning a new culture, new codes, new way of expressing yourself to colleagues - a new language in short! Things that I might commonly say in Toronto could have another connotation and be misunderstood in Manila.
Adapting to people, to their specific situation, is perhaps the most stimulating part of being a manager. Every day, this experience teaches me to become a better leader. It's very formative.
"At the end of the day, that's why you go and live abroad: to become more open-minded and see your certainties be shaken by another culture, and to come away enriched both professionally and personally."
Leaving family and friends in Canada wasn’t easy, even with today’s technology where you can stay connected virtually from almost anywhere on the planet. I quickly felt the need to build a new social circle.
The neighborhood in which I live is packed with restaurants and shopping centers. It's a very dynamic area, perfectly suited to my lifestyle. It's also the home of many expatriates, which makes it very easy to meet new people.
It was through padel that I met many of the people who are now my friends. As a former tennis player, I loved discovering this sport, which is booming in the Philippines. My playing partners are mainly expats too, which helps a lot in making friends, as we have at least two things in common: the expat experience and padel!
“When I applied for the Vice President Corporate Services position, I knew almost nothing about the Philippines apart from what my Google searches allowed me to learn. ”
Today it's been 18 months since my plane landed and I couldn't be more fulfilled. It's been an incredible life experience, working with my Filipino colleagues every day and taking advantage of weekend trips to visit Asia with my girlfriend, who agreed to follow me on this expat adventure. After almost two years of supporting Nordia’s business in the Philippines, I can say with great confidence: the friendliest people and the most beautiful beaches in the world are in the Philippines!