Adtel Inc. president and chief operating officer Andrew Ramos had just finished his graduate studies in the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) when headhunters started calling him for interviews with various corporations, including a bank and Adtel.

A licensed electronics and communications engineer, the De La Salle University graduate had worked in a small technology company prior to taking the Master of Business Management course full time. He was immediately attracted to the prospect of working in a technology company like Adtel, where his engineering background and management training would serve him in good stead.

AIM education
“I saw Adtel as a good opportunity to work in one of biggest conglomerates in the country. Intuitively, I knew that my AIM education would be valued here because the Lopez Group is a major benefactor of AIM. Many of our case rooms were donated by companies like ABS-CBN and First Philippine Holdings. I also felt pride in working with a fellow Ilonggo, so I took the chance,” recalls Ramos. His father and mother hailed from Bacolod and Iloilo, respectively. The Lopez family traces its roots to Jaro, Iloilo.

Ramos was first tasked to head the telephony department of Adtel, which provided value-added services to its main client, Bayan Telecommunications Inc. It was not difficult for him to grasp the ins and outs of electronics and telecommunications. Today, his engineering and management skills are applied to understanding and assessing the opportunities in Adtel’s milieu, and help him choose the appropriate technologies to pursue.

Most tested Lopez value
He says integrity is the Lopez value most tested in his work, partnering with mostly foreign technology providers while serving the needs of local customers.

“Sometimes you encounter people who have no integrity, for example, a customer who will unfairly penalize you for delays which are not your fault. You are tempted to respond in kind and be unfair to your supplier, who may not be directly at fault for the delay. But we must remember that if we are untreated unfairly, it does not give us license to treat others unfairly,” says Ramos.

He says Adtel has always preferred to lose business than to engage in corrupt practices. For example, the company has staunchly refused to pad its bids in order to give cuts to representatives of client companies.

Big responsibility
“We are a small company, but our responsibility is very big. We do not want to besmirch the name of our owners, the Lopez family. As a father to three sons, and as a leader now in Adtel, my life goal is solely to be a good role model to my family and to my fellow employees. I want them to know that we can be successful without compromising our values. We have to strive to be the best in our field, but at the same time, to maintain our integrity and to stay humble. That is very important,” Ramos says.

He looks up to Atty. Jake Almeda Lopez, a member of the Adtel board of directors, who is very particular about the ethical challenges that a company like Adtel must face in keeping the trust of both its customers and suppliers.

“During one of our meetings, he mentioned that he doesn’t want to be called by the Ombudsman if we will enter into government contracts which may come under scrutiny. This drives us to really stick to our values.”

End-to-end solutions
Ramos invites Lopez Group companies to think of Adtel whenever they have technology requirements: from communications to enterprise management to solar and water system solutions. They can also refer potential clients to Adtel, especially those looking for corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.

“We can design the project for them, from sourcing the CSR equipment for distribution to identifying beneficiaries to delivery and documentation. When we offer a solution, it’s always end-to-end.” (By Carla Paras-Sison)