Engineered to lead
Credit to Author: Louise Nichole Logarta| Date: Sat, 04 Jan 2020 16:15:46 +0000
“Real estate is experiencing …continuous growth, but what I’m seeing is a changing of the guard in these big companies and developers. The next generation is different — they are educated abroad and there are more women in leadership roles.”
THE playing field in many industries has evened out in terms of workforce composition. More women are now leading the way in industries traditionally lorded over by men. Jean Jacquelyn de Castro, chief executive officer (CEO) of ESCA Inc., is a fine example of the trend, for she excels in not just one, but two, fields.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, Jean is a practicing lawyer. “After the bar, I joined [the] Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco Law Office, which was called CVC Law at the time,” she recalls. “This was around 2007 to 2010. I was involved in litigation, identification and construction arbitration. In 2011, I joined the privatization management office of the government as a consultant.
“I never thought about being part of the family business. I always had my heart set on law, and so I took up political science. I was a UP Oblation scholar, which allowed me to take any course I wanted. My mom used to encourage me to take up a business course, but that’s not what I wanted. I had a one-track mind: go into law, become associate, perform well and become partner one day.” Her father Ernesto S. de Castro, meanwhile, never steered any of his four children toward his own preferences.
Jean followed her ambition. But despite already being a senior partner at CVC Law, she decided to join ESCA Inc., the engineering firm her father founded, which offers structural design and civil engineering services, as well as project and construction management. In addition, their expertise is outsourced internationally through ESCA International.
“My father founded ESCA in 1982, essentially my whole life,” she explains. “It was the company that fed and clothed us and paid for our schooling. I figured at that point it was time to give back.”
At ESCA, Jean enthusiastically met new challenges, handling human resources and finance. “It was really the back office, the non-glamorous aspects of the business,” she says. That was done mainly to help her father: “I became chief executive officer in 2017, removing a lot of headaches from my dad, although he’s still active as our president. Essentially, it was so that he had someone he could trust.”
Running a company did not come naturally to Jean. “I really had to learn everything because it wasn’t something I studied for, particularly for finance and accounting,” she says. “I had to rely on, for instance, our chief financial officer at the time, Mila San Juan. She guided me as to what to look out for, what to do, how to be careful with money and also how to handle people.”
An avid student and reader, Jean has attended numerous training courses. One of these, conducted by the American Council of Engineering, was originally only open to US-based firms. But with the help of her mentor, Michael Matsumoto of SSFM Engineering International, a consultancy company from Honolulu, Hawaii, she was able to attend the course. “It came in handy for our outsourcing business,” she says. “It helped me gain an international perspective on best practices and leadership.”
In terms of human resources, Jean draws inspiration from her father. Of him, she says: “He has a distinct leadership style. He’s really all about the people — he trusts them a lot and believes that they will do their best if you also give them what they want.” As all leaders do, this lawyer-CEO began to develop and practice her own style. She learned to listen to people, whether they were suppliers, employees or clients.
“When you start doing it, it’s just a job. But I distinctly remember one time when I saw a young guy holding a resumé walking into the office. It really touched me. I thought, we actually provide jobs. Non-technical staff like the admin tell me stories that they are able to send their kids to school to become engineers themselves. I found that very inspiring. It’s something that companies can do that individuals can’t,” Jean says.
As in any family-run enterprise, working with and for one’s parents has its advantages and challenges. “I got the privilege of getting to know him [my father] better,” Jean says. “As a daughter, you see a different side of your father, but in business it was really like ‘wow’ for me, to see this other side of him. I don’t think I would’ve lasted this long if I didn’t believe in his vision.”
She adds, however, that it is difficult to separate the two dimensions of their relationship.
“The time we have together is mostly spent on work, and I’m compelled to protect and respect the legacy.”
Jean refers to her father as a “visionary.” She says: “He really pushed for business information modelling (BIM). ‘Other countries are doing it,’ he said. But it was something that wasn’t popular in the Philippines; it wasn’t in demand. We had to really educate and convince clients what it was about.”
Business information modelling is a digital model of a whole building — in 3D, 4D and 5D. “It’s an architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection all-in-one model,” Jean explains. Dubbed the future of engineering, it is, perhaps, ESCA’s aggressive push for the use of BIM that sets them apart from other firms in the country.
“The technology aspect excites me. BIM pushes boundaries of the industry and changes how people do things,” she says.
Asked what the sphere of engineering looks like through her eyes, Jean declares: “Real estate is experiencing…continuous growth, but what I’m seeing is a changing of the guard in these big companies and developers. The next generation is different — they are educated abroad, and there are more women in leadership roles. STEM programs (where science, technology, engineering and mathematics are taught using an interdisciplinary and applied approach) are integrating engineering already. I think that’s something that’s very positive.
“We have clients now who want more for less,” she adds. “They’re more demanding and discerning, which, in turn, pushes us to test our limits in terms of creativity.”
Despite such intense responsibilities, Jean still finds time for her family. She, husband John, and their two children — Joaquin, 14 and Isabella, 8 — enjoy traveling and the outdoors.
Their most recent trip was to Taiwan for the holidays. Jean engages in Pilates and yoga, and considers time spent in these sessions as her “me time.” She also enjoys dancing, admitting that were she not a top honcho, she would have chosen the world of the performing arts.
The eldest of four siblings, Jean has two older brothers and a younger sister who live abroad. She observes that this permits their father the convenient excuse to travel and visit them.
It appears that Jean Jacqueline de Castro excels at everything she attempts to do. With her at the helm, one can be sure that ESCA can bring the future of engineering to greater heights in the country and beyond.
About me
ROLE MODEL
In the legal field: Conchita Carpio-Morales; in engineering: Elvira Ablaza, both for carrying themselves so well and being women leaders in male-dominated industries
GOALS
Short term: grow the company; long term: head a conglomerate
FIRST PAYING JOB
I taught English literature at my high school, Immaculate Conception Academy, Greenhills.
MORNING ROUTINE
Trying to meditate regularly now, but normally, it’s wake up, shower and head straight to work
SPECIAL SKILLS
I can sleep anywhere, anytime
TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
A couple of hours a day, but my New Year’s resolution is to spend less than that.