Flexible workspaces, focus areas and wellness rooms in a ‘glocal’ environment

With its offering of convenience and a human-centric approach to workplace design, American technology firm Vertiv has chosen SM Office’s Mega Tower in Mandaluyong City to be its Manila office.

On Tuesday, officials of Vertiv and SM Offices unveiled its Manila hub at the SM Mega Tower building in the heart of Mandaluyong City’s central business district.

The Vertiv offices span over 8,000 square feet across four floors and feature modern amenities, including flexible workspaces, focus areas and wellness rooms, as well as an open office concept to provide employees with an environment that encourages productivity and collaboration.

Boasting modern amenities and a “glocal” environment, the new Manila site will house more than 1,200 people that make up the company’s local workforce, supporting Vertiv’s local, regional and global operations.

“We designed the Vertiv Manila offices to be open and dynamic to inspire our employees and encourage them to be energetic and creative when at work. We understand that the commute and time spent on computers and in meetings can be taxing for our staff. The amenities we have included in our office design will hopefully give our employees a boost and an overall positive environment where they can grow both at a professional and personal level,” said David Yao, general manager of the global regional operations center of Vertiv.

“We understand that returning to the office can be challenging for some and our open office concept, lounge spaces, and focus rooms will give our employees some benefits not found in typical offices or even at home,” Yao added.

Vertiv has invested in a significant expansion in the Philippines post-pandemic.

From a workforce of over 700, the company has quickly scaled to over 1,200 employees in recent years.

“The choice to increase this team reflects the strong skill set of the Filipino workforce. Here at Vertiv Manila, we are proud to be ‘glocal’. Not only do we cater to Philippine customers through Vertiv Philippines, but we also work with key stakeholders and customers across the regions of Asia Pacific, North America and Europe,” added Yao.

In addition, Vertiv officially opened the doors to its modern Customer Experience Center (CEC) and the Vertiv Academy, also located within the SM Mega Tower.

The sprawling facilities offer Vertiv customers in the Philippines the opportunity to have hands-on experience with Vertiv products and technologies, guided by local technical experts.

“We are excited to open the doors to our CEC and the Vertiv Academy to our Philippine customers,” said Pamela Albar, sales director of Vertiv Philippines. “Recently, we have seen strong interest among various sectors, particularly on how to build future-friendly critical infrastructure amid the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 5G. We can’t wait to welcome our customers to our facilities.”

Present during the inaugural activities on 28 May were David Fallon, Vertiv’s chief financial officer; Cheryl Lim, Vertiv’s chief human resources officer; Alexis Ortiga, SM Prime Holdings vice president and head of SM Offices; and Maricris Cruz, SM Offices regional accounts manager.

“SM Offices is proud to have Vertiv call SM Mega Tower ‘home.’ This new facility is a testament to our shared vision of pioneering office environments that are not only functional but also inspiring and conducive to the modern demands of convenience, collaboration, and a human-centric approach to workplace design,” said Ortiga.

“The pandemic has certainly transformed the way we look at the physical office and it is our goal here at Vertiv to encourage flexible and comfortable working spaces. With these amenities, we hope to also attract the best local talent to grow our business operations,” added Yao.

Growth prospects

Meanwhile, Vertiv’s Fallon disclosed that the New York Stock Exchange-listed firm reaped a 20-percent growth in 2023.

“When we look at growth, we anticipate to grow on an annual basis somewhere between 8 and 11 percent per year over the next five years. If you speak with one of our analysts and some of the industry analysts, they would probably say that is conservative,” Fallon told reporters.

And for its Philippine operation, Vertiv Philippines sales director Albar said they see a 30-percent growth in revenues for 2024 or the same growth they earned last year, despite seeing a very big opportunity in terms of the data center investments in the country.

“So, what we would like to do is to make sure that we use this opportunity to bring forward some of the industry-leading innovations that we have, in terms of our solutions also, to make sure that our customers will be able to experience them,” according to Albar.