Alexander is a team leader with HGS Philippines. He has been with us for more than ten years now. He shares with us some of the best moments in his HGS journey.
With family, you look beyond the degree, the title or the achievements, and respect everyone equally. More importantly, we don't stop believing in them because they failed--we continue to give hope until they succeed. The obvious reason why I have stayed with HGS for ten years and counting is because of the support and acceptance I have received from the people I work with here. Despite being an undergrad, HGS gave me a chance to work with the best people when they hired me in 2008. I was also grateful to be part of a group that showed me that I could have a second family at work.
My first account with HGS was an elite group that supported customers with the use of a specific product. Right from setting the units to recommending best partners for the equipment they owned, we catered to a variety of product support for customers. Over time, through our work, we became a tight-knit group. It was only in 2011 when I realized how much we all valued having one another in our lives.
My wife and I have been together since 2005. In 2011, she got diagnosed with chronic illness and was adamant about getting married. I couldn't leave her when she needed me the most, so we decided to fast-track our marriage plans. I wanted to give her a dream garden wedding. While I took as big a loan as I could at the time, it was just not enough to cover everything. My team knew about our story then and was very sympathetic. When they found out our plans for the wedding, they pitched in to help out in a way I did not expect. With just my team members, I was able to have photographers and videographers, sponsors for souvenirs, and a chauffeur and a wedding car. My team even helped me with the smaller details like flowers and music, and fully supported our 200-guest wedding day.
I have been able to carry forward my learnings from my first team, and I am applying them today as a team leader myself.
This team's identity has been a part of me since then. Even though I have moved a few teams, I have been able to carry forward what I've learned with my first one. Now, I'm a team leader myself, and I have created such an environment for my team members. I'll always be grateful to all my mentors along my journey with HGS.