Inside the AI Transformation Playbook: Key Lessons from Globe & Tech Mahindra’s HR Leaders

According to the PwC 2025 Global CEO Survey, 75% of CEOs in the Philippines say they trust AI integration will enhance business operations, and 88% expect AI to be systematically embedded in their business processes within the next three years.

This means that business leaders understand that AI isn’t just a technology. It’s now a strategic business imperative. However, leaders also understand that success depends on how it is implemented, how employees are supported, and how strategies are aligned with long-term business goals. 

In line with this, at Sprout’s HR and Business Leadership 2026 Forum, the panel Inside the Leadership Playbook of AI Transformation featured two industry leaders who shared key insights on how Filipino organizations can successfully adopt AI and sustain momentum in the workplace.

• Avery Balboa-Banta: Vice President and Head of HRBP, Change Management & Organization Development at Globe Telecom
• Marvin Zoilo: Group Human Resources Director at Tech Mahindra

More than 250,000 businesses in the Philippines have already adopted AI as of 2025, and adoption is growing rapidly. This just shows that there’s a strong trend toward using AI to improve efficiency, customer engagement, and decision‑making across sectors.

However, another study found that only 14.9% of Philippine businesses actively use AI tools, with adoption largely concentrated among large companies in urban centers, especially in the ICT and BPO sectors.

This rapid but uneven adoption shows that Philippine companies need clear AI strategies. 

What’s more, with the rising operational costs, increasing customer expectations, and the need to remain competitive in the ASEAN region, Philippine companies need well‑defined plans to integrate AI into their core operations and align it with long‑term goals.

As Marvin Zoilo highlighted during the panel discussion, “The question should not be about which AI should be used. It’s about what you want to achieve, and then the AI will be there to help you improve.

Avery also added that early enthusiasm must be paired with structure. “The energy is what we need at the start, but we need the structure with soul to get us through, ” she said. “We are not replacing people; we are amplifying their ability to deliver our commitment.” 

For Philippine businesses, this means creating AI initiatives that combine innovation with preparing employees to use them effectively.

The 5-step playbook below can guide Philippine businesses to ensure their AI journey is both people‑centered and results-driven.

The first step is developing a strategy that starts with humans, not just technology. Companies can start by identifying the most pressing challenges their employees and customers face, then determine how AI can address those challenges in ways that create measurable benefits.

To simplify this, Avery Balboa-Banta shared the Relevance, Value, Readiness (RVR) framework or equation. According to Avery, AI initiatives succeed when they satisfy three criteria:

• Relevance: The solution addresses a real pain point for employees or customers.

• Value: The initiative creates tangible benefits, such as cost savings, revenue growth, or improved service levels.

• Readiness: The people using the system must be equipped and motivated to adopt it effectively.

Avery shared an example from Globe’s AI journey: their employee contact center, previously limited to voice and email, was transformed into a 24/7 AI-enabled platform. It now handles inquiries about leave, salaries, loans, and company programs. 

They addressed a real pain point, delivered measurable efficiency gains, and prepared employees to use it, which made the platform evolve from a pilot project to a lasting solution.

Similarly, Marvin emphasized the importance of policies, procedures, and governance before scaling any AI initiative. Without these guardrails, even promising AI tools can fail to deliver results.

“If you put garbage into AI, it will give you garbage out. Transformation starts from policies and the changes that need to be done at that level”, Marvin said.

That said, it boils down to one question: Does your AI strategy empower your people? 

It does if it includes:

• Clear business problem definition
• Transparent intent
• Defined success metrics
• Employee involvement in testing and feedback
• Guardrails for ethical use

Even the best AI strategy must contend with human behavior. Introducing new technology can trigger resistance, confusion, or uncertainty, especially if people don’t clearly understand how it affects their work. 

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that almost 60% of workers worldwide will need new skills by 2030 because technology and automation are changing what jobs require. This shows that getting people ready is just as important as picking the right AI tools.

Both Avery Balboa‑Banta and Marvin Zoilo emphasized that effective leadership is essential to help teams navigate change. Panelists shared some leadership behaviors that help turn resistance into resilience:

• Clarify expectations early: Communicate what AI will do and why it matters, reducing ambiguity and fear.
• Connect AI to outcomes: When people see how AI can make work easier, not replace them, motivation increases.
• Use governance as guidance: Clear policies and procedures help employees understand the boundaries and safeguards around AI use.
• Encourage shared ownership: Involving teams early builds buy‑in and shared responsibility for success.

Organizations also benefit from listening to employees continuously rather than only occasionally. In fact, 75% of organizations now collect employee feedback at least quarterly, and companies that have mature listening practices are far more likely to innovate effectively with their workforce.

AI adoption often changes job requirements. It can free employees from routine tasks, but that also means leaders need to help people develop new skills to stay relevant and contribute at higher levels. 

Marvin Zoilo emphasized that AI should be used in practical, everyday ways that support work across functions (from HR documentation to reporting tasks) and that organizations should encourage employees to use the tools already available to them.

“Maybe you have Copilot on your computer but you don’t use it yet. Use it for simple tasks like return‑to‑work orders or coaching logs; those are things we’ve been using in our department”, he said. 

So, what’s the role of HR in skill development?  HR leaders must take action to build future capabilities:

• Conduct skills inventories to understand current strengths and gaps
• Create structured learning pathways that address both AI literacy and job‑specific competencies
• Reward learning agility in performance reviews and career progression

Marvin also pointed out that organizations shouldn’t wait to offer expensive external training; simple, accessible resources and hands-on use of AI tools can accelerate learning and build confidence.

Another interesting insight from the forum: do not chase shiny objects. This means choosing the right AI tools doesn’t mean following the latest trend. Instead, it should begin with a clear understanding of what pain point you want to solve, as mentioned earlier. 

Successful deployments begin with a clear problem, such as:

• Reducing payroll errors
• Shortening hiring cycles
• Automating HR documentation
• Improving response times to employee queries

The key is focusing on practical, integrated solutions.

Rather than stitching together point solutions, Philippine organizations benefit from platforms that integrate multiple HR and operational functions. Panelists noted that small pilots, such as using AI for procurement, HR, marketing, and finance, allow teams to reclaim time and test solutions before scaling.

Integrated tools make it easier to:

• Automate manual tasks and reduce administrative workload
• Track and analyze employee activity for smarter decision-making
• Enhance cross-departmental efficiency without forcing one-size-fits-all tools

As Avery Balboa-Banta pointed out, scaling AI requires “structure with soul” (KPIs, governance guidelines, and clear ownership) while keeping the focus on people and their ability to adopt technology effectively.

AI initiatives only deliver long‑term value when organizations can measure impact and use insights to scale successes across teams.

During the forum, Avery explained that Globe’s approach evolved from measuring enablement (training hours) to measuring adoption and real outcomes, such as improvements in SLA, cost savings, or operational efficiencies.

Here are some important metrics to track in your AI transformation:

• Employee engagement and adoption levels.
• Time‑to‑hire and talent acquisition effectiveness.
• Process cycle times and SLA compliance.
• Quality improvements and productivity gains.

In line with this, Marvin stressed the value of time-motion analysis. By carefully observing how employees spend their work hours, organizations can identify inefficiencies, uncover process bottlenecks, and reclaim valuable time that can be better spent on high-impact activities. 

He emphasized that even small gains: five, 10, or 15 minutes per employee per day, can accumulate into significant productivity improvements when scaled across the organization. 

The insights from the Inside the Leadership Playbook of AI Transformation panel advise companies to:

• Start with strategy, not software.
• Lead with transparency.
• Invest in reskilling.
• Solve real problems.
• Measure what matters.

AI transformation is people-led and strategy-driven. The future of AI in the Philippines will not belong to companies that experiment the most. It will belong to leaders who execute with clarity, data, and purpose.

Ready to build a bespoke AI playbook for your organization?

Contact our team of experts for a consultation on how Sprout can help you in your AI transformation journey.