I'm Filipino, a husband and father of three, and a serial immigrant, having moved from Manila to New York, Jakarta, Singapore, Taipei, and now the San Francisco Bay Area.
I help maverick innovators solve people problems
...the people problems that are oftentimes the hardest issues they face, whether they're a founder of an ambitious startup or leading a large global organization. I've worked with thousands of leaders in over 70 countries, primarily in the tech industry and a particular focus on AI, but my experience also spans across many sectors like consumer goods, banking, energy, public infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and social enterprises.
I think of our work as the organizational equivalent of the CIA. When my team does its job well, we fix high-stakes problems without anyone ever realizing we were involved.
I work on issues that define the second plotline. The story of any team has two plotlines. The first is the public narrative: written up in corporate websites, retold on conference stages or podcasts, and broadcasted on LinkedIn. Then there’s the private narrative that happens behind closed doors, blind to the public, the media, or investors. The messier story of private mental battles and painful team conflict, the broken collaborations in an org, and the pressure cooker environments these mavericks often create. I find myself working on that hidden plotline.
I’m a researcher
Driven largely by a restlessness to advance the state of the art in my field and an annoyance with armchair advice, I collaborate on research projects focused on the psychology of startup teams, AI in organizations, and the org design of innovators.
I’ve concluded research projects with Google for Startups, with Wharton researchers, and currently pursuing new research areas on AI and organizational life with Stanford, MIT, and the London School of Economics scholars.
I’m an educator
I have the greatest honor to lecture in some of the world’s most inspiring MBA and Engineering classrooms. My primary affiliation is with Stanford University, where I lecture on org culture, people analytics, the impact of AI in organizational life, and entrepreneurship. I’ve designed undergrad and graduate-level courses, and guest lectured at many of the world’s top universities including Wharton, INSEAD, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, University of Cambridge, the London Business School, Tsinghua University, Singapore Management University, and the University of Asia & the Pacific.
I’m an org and leadership development practitioner
In 2024, I am leading the org, talent, and leadership development team (called PeopleDev) for Google’s AI and quantum research groups, Technology & Society, and Core Engineering. In my 10 years at Google, I’ve supported the leaders of products used by billions of people, including Search, YouTube, Android, Pixel, Chrome, Photos, Maps, Gmail, Cloud. I developed Google's post-merger integration approach for major deals like HTC’s phone division, Fitbit, and Mandiant, helped set up Google’s org development function, and served as an early faculty member at The Google School for Leaders.
Prior to Google, I was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), part of the founding team that built the firm’s Leadership and Talent Enablement Center (now known as BCG U). Through BCG, I learned the dark arts of org design and management development through work across Asia Pacific, in a handful of different industries.
I started my career as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Goods (now Kenvue).
I’m a startup adviser
I’ve worked with founders of some of the most exciting startups and scale ups across Asia, North and South America, Europe, and Africa, helping them with intense conflicts among founders, gaining clarity after a pivot, and building a strong team culture.
My experience in doing this work around the world is captured in The Bonfire Moment.
My educational background
MSc in Behavioral Science, The London School of Economics and Political Science
MA in Org and Leadership Development, Columbia University
BA in Integrated Marketing Communications, University of Asia & the Pacific