MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Havas Ortega CEO Jos Ortega recently announced the appointment of Maria Lourdes Benito-Escalona, as the Havas Village HR Director.
In her new assignment, Maria Lourdes Benito-Escalona will oversee all aspects of human resources for the organization. Her role will be pivotal in shaping the company’s culture, values, and performance. In addition, she will work closely with senior leadership to provide insights and recommendations on workforce planning, organizational design, and diversity and inclusion initiatives to ensure the long-term success of the company. With over 25 years of industry experience, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this critical leadership role.
“We are thrilled to have Malou join our team as HR Director. As we continue to expand and innovate, it’s more important than ever to have strong HR leadership to help us attract, retain and develop the best talent in the industry. Together, we will continue to push boundaries and create innovative solutions that drive value for our clients,” said Jos.
The newly minted HR Director began her career in the Human Resources field with an industry leader in real estate development. There, she learned the foundational skills to develop and implement recruitment and retention strategies while focused on building a diverse workforce and understanding how those factors contribute to the success of day-to-day operations. She was employed by the developers for fourteen years.
Having a track record for improving existing processes, employee relations and culture, she moved on to Strategic Works, Inc. (Stratworks) where she stayed for almost twelve years before her recent appointment with Havas Ortega.
This new appointment comes at a time when Havas Ortega’s new business acquisitions keep growing, and she will play a pivotal role in nurturing the internal health of the agency to support the expansion.
“HR is mostly a balance of managing expectations and building a culture for growth,” commented Maria Lourdes Benito-Escalona, “from your immediate bosses, your international partners with the same stake in your success, from the people who do the day to day operations, and even from your other external clients, I’m always happy to serve.”
