Pebbles has nearly 30 years of experience in the Information and Telecommunications industry, specializing in technology transformation, product development, and operations. She led a successful platform migration and agile adoption, driving digital innovation in the Philippines while cultivating a culture of excellence and customer-centricity.

In a recent conversation with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Pebbles shares her insights on how recent market shifts are influencing technology adoption and operational strategies. She also discusses integrating AI-driven solutions, prioritizing investments for digital experiences, and how tech leaders can contribute to sustainability, especially for women in tech.

In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, particularly in the Philippines, how do recent market shifts influence technology adoption and operational strategies?

In the Philippines, access to financial services has always been a challenge. Before the pandemic, only 29% of Filipinos had a bank account, and services like investments, insurance, and fair lending options were out of reach for most people.

But then the pandemic hit, and suddenly there was a big shift in how Filipinos handled their money. The need for safe and secure ways to send money and pay pushed digital platforms to the forefront, and apps like GCash quickly became indispensable. This helped to jumpstart the fintech revolution, making e-wallets a part of everyday life.

As GCash led the way in this transformation, more Filipinos started embracing fintech. By 2023, the Central Bank reported that over half of retail payments were made digitally, beating the national target.

Today, 65% of Filipinos are banked, with 1 in 4 using our GSave platform. We've also disbursed over USD $2.67 billion in micro and small loans to 5.4 million unique borrowers, and more Filipinos are turning to GCash for their investment and insurance needs. GCash has become the champion of financial inclusion in the Philippines.

AI and automation are reshaping workflows across industries. How can tech leaders effectively integrate AI-driven solutions into their operational frameworks, and what are the potential benefits for women in tech?

AI has been making a big impact in Fintech for a while now, and at GCash, we’re already leveraging it in areas like eKYC, credit scoring, and risk management. But what’s really exciting is the rise of Generative AI.

We’re just getting started, but we’ve already rolled out some game-changing tools like our AI Wealth Coach, a virtual money manager that helps customers make smarter choices when it comes to spending, saving, and growing their money.

While these innovations are exciting, the most immediate benefits of Generative AI are being felt by our own teams. Imagine boosting productivity with co-pilot programs across departments like Customer Service, Software Development, Marketing, Legal, and HR.

We’re giving our employees virtual assistants that we see evolving into an all-in-one concierge and digital workbench. For instance, our customer service reps now have a CX copilot that analyzes customer sentiment in real-time and suggests personalized responses. And for our developers, AI coding assistants are helping them streamline their workflow and speed up code deployment.

Generative AI is transforming how we work, making powerful tools accessible to everyone and promoting inclusivity. It’s about empowering every team member, no matter their role, to unlock their full potential with the help of this technology.

Collaboration across sectors is increasingly common. How can technology leaders foster innovation through strategic partnerships with tech firms and startups, particularly from a women in tech perspective?

Our vision is clear: Finance for All. But we can’t achieve this alone, which is why we’ve partnered with organizations that share our vision of financial inclusion.

With trusted partners like CIMB, BPI, Maybank, and Unobank, we’ve made saving and borrowing easier. For insurance and investment, our collaborations with SingLife, Chum, FWD, FPG, Sun Life, and Oona have helped us onboard 7.8 million insurance customers, resulting in 28 million policies sold through GCash.

Successful partnerships happen when there’s a shared vision. When innovation is driven by purpose, collaboration naturally follows, helping us work towards a common goal.

Once objectives are aligned, we find that our workplace diversity works to our advantage. In GCash, 47% of our workforces are women. 49% of our senior leaders are women. This diversity leads to safe spaces, where diverse perspectives and synergy thrive. And just as important: partners get to see that we’re serious about our purpose, because they see inclusion alive and well in our workplace and in our ways of working.

In an era of heightened expectations from customers, how should technology leaders prioritize investments to enhance the digital experience while ensuring security and compliance, focusing on women in tech?

Innovation thrives on trust, and trust is earned when people feel secure. At GCash, we’ve adopted a “Secure by Design” approach, ensuring security is not an afterthought but an integral part of every stage of product development, from concept to launch.

This focus on security can sometimes introduce friction, but it’s essential to protect our users. We’re constantly working to strike that balance between convenience and safety, particularly for women, who are the champions of digital finance in their homes. Cutting corners is never an option when it comes to ensuring peace of mind for our customers.

To support this, we've partnered with top industry leaders and invested heavily in cutting-edge technology to reinforce trust in our platform. We understand that in the digital world, security is paramount, especially for Filipinos who face vulnerabilities online. By prioritizing their safety and peace of mind, we aim to create a digital space where everyone feels empowered to transact with confidence. Thanks to this unwavering commitment, GCash has become one of the most trusted brands in the Philippines, boasting a remarkable 92 Net Promoter Score (NPS) in 2023 - a testament to the trust our users place in us.

How do you navigate compliance challenges while fostering innovation within technology and operations frameworks, particularly relevant to women in tech?

I love the F1 race car analogy: a driver pushes the car to its limits because they trust the brakes to handle sharp turns without losing control. In the fintech landscape, regulators are like those brakes, they allow us to accelerate innovation because we know they're there to guide us through the sharp turns.

We're fortunate to work with forward-thinking regulators like the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas  (BSP), who  share  our  vision  for  financial  inclusion. Together, we've made real strides in improving financial access for Filipinos. A great example is our work with the BSP and local governments on programs like Paleng-QR Ph, which enables cashless payments for market vendors. These partnerships have also been key in promoting financial literacy for our users.

But it’s not just the BSP. We also collaborate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and even law enforcement like the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

To keep these partnerships strong, we’ve built a culture of compliance. Innovation in fintech doesn’t mean cutting corners. For us, compliance and security are baked into every solution we create, not just to meet standards but to build trust. That trust, both with our customers and regulators, is what allows us to continue innovating responsibly in such a fast-moving industry.

How can technology and operation leaders contribute to sustainable practices within tech industries? What role does digital transformation play in achieving environmental and social goals, specifically for women in tech?

GCash views sustainability as a collaborative effort. We believe businesses, individuals, and governments all have a role to play in protecting our environment and driving social progress. That’s why we’ve launched our Green Solutions, initiatives designed to lower our carbon footprint and create real, positive change.

One of our flagship initiatives is GForest, an in-app feature that lets users convert their digital transactions into virtual green energy. These energy points can be used to plant real trees. Thanks to the collective efforts of over 18 million GCash users, we’ve already planted 2.8 million trees across 11,600 hectares. And we’re just getting started. With 4.5 million virtual trees planted so far, we’re on track to hit 10 million by 2025 with the help of our passionate green champions.

We’re also deeply invested in sustainable agriculture through GFarm, a program that supports local farmers in growing fruit-bearing trees. Through GFarm, over 8,000 farmers across the Philippines are empowered to cultivate a greener and more sustainable future.

On the inclusion front, we're making real progress, especially for women. Our partnerships with For the Women Foundation (FTW) and Connected Women are opening up opportunities for women in tech. Through our Data Science Scholarship Program with FTW, 31 women received hands-on training, leading to a 76% job placement rate and a 154% increase in earnings. Meanwhile, our 'Elevate GAIL' Program with Connected Women has equipped 100 women with AI skills. Today, over 68,000 women have access to remote work opportunities via the Connected Women platform on GCash.

Inclusion at GCash is something we actively work towards. By enabling our customers to make a positive impact with every digital transaction, we’re paving the way for a brighter, greener future, one tree at a time.