It’s What I Do

Mylene Escano

Head of Abu Dhabi Sports Programming

Abu Dhabi Media (Abu Dhabi TV)

I am in charge of a variety of areas including sports programming acquisition for free-to-air and PayTV channels,  9 channels all in all. I also cover sublicensing,  conduct short  and long  term planning, onsite coverage operations, draft channel budget/strategies and maintain other standard policies & protocol for sports programming.

My work involves traveling and maintaining good relationship with international “sports” suppliers and being part of sports market trade shows in Europe, Asia and America.  I also deal with local sports institutions/ federations in the United Arab Emirates and other GCC countries.

My typical day is BUSY!  I wake up to see the sunrise but seldom have a glimpse of the sunset. My day starts with an espresso and scribbling in my notebook what needs to be done for the day. I enjoy my drive to work and then spend a good amount of time at my desk solving matters for the day. In between, I am usually called in for a meeting and then I rush from one meeting to another, sometimes within ADM and sometimes outdoor meetings with clients. My job is pretty diverse in that it covers buying programmes to getting into the nitty-gritty of operations and in between handling top prestigious sports events in Abu Dhabi.

I’m a workaholic and have mastered the art of multi-tasking, thanks to my +20 years experience in media and setting up of new channels. Every job is a new challenge that once accomplished gives a deep feeling of pride and achievement. I find myself, on occasion, being a consultant-on-the-job when I share my expertise and knowledge the different aspects of the business and business operations.

My schedule at work is busy due to the nature of my job, I work with people from around the globe and have keep up with different time zones. I try to clear off my emails by responding to each one as soon as I receive them, irrespective of the time of receipt. I sometimes find myself replying back at odd times even as my day at work ends.

Job perks

It was last year when I was chosen to be part of  the Jui Jitsu & Abu Dhabi Int’l Sports Exhibition committee. It was indeed a great honor when the ruler of Abu Dhabi invited me and I was congratulated as part of the team in his palace!  That was the year that I will never forget!

There’s always a formula to become a successful person at work:

Stay humble: Even though hot topics/ issues na ang dinisdcuss nyo sa work you still need to compose yourself. Never raise your voice and you will get your boss ‘s attention  by explaining the root cause  of the issue. Never argue! Admit to yourself that you cannot win every argument and that’s okay.

Honesty: this is the main foundation of trust at work. Once it is  established then you will be on top of everything.

Lastly, hard work,  work  without limits!

Anthony Dela Cruz

Visual Consultant

Marina Mall Abu Dhabi
In summary, I am responsible for the image, look and feel of the Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. My responsibilities include the review and approval of retail store planning and design, specialty leasing spaces and common areas. All this is to meet the objective of ensuring the best shopping environment for customers and visitors. I work closely with mall tenants and brand principals like Prada, Gucci, Burberry to Zara, Reiss, Next, Esprit, to name a few on design development and storefront application.

Early Bird

My alarm goes off at 5:45am and I tune to FashionTV while I get ready for work. I am in the car by 6:30am, heading to Abu Dhabi. Working 9 ½ hours, plus a 3-hour road trip eats up most of my day. But when I think about how design meetings, project site inspection and correspondence are all part of this, I get a better perspective of my day as fulfilling.

One of my more-than-usual-interesting-days was a surprise visit at work when I escorted the Honorable Jejomar Binay, Vice President of the Philippines, back in 2011.  Being awarded ‘Best Mall Decor’ in 2005 awarded by Sheikh Mohammad Al Maktoum, Vice President of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career.

Secret to success

To dream big is a basic tenet in life. Dreams and visions contain a special, exciting quality that stimulates us to do and be better than you have ever been before. He also says that the very act of allowing ourselves to dream big raises our self-esteem and elevates our self-worth, self-confidence and self-respect. It doesn’t matter what I believe in, it only matters what I can prove.

Loli Cremat, CPA

Certified Public Accountant

Cashuk, Wiseman, Goldberg, Birnbaum  & Salem, LLP

I am Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California, USA and currently a partner in a local public accounting firm in San Diego.  I prepare tax returns for individuals and businesses. I also conduct financial audits of businesses in different industries, but with a concentration in mortgage and escrow businesses, 401(k) plans and non-profit organizations.

My work requires me to travel a lot since I service clients in 26 US states my firm has a license to operate in. My job does not only allow me to see the different cities of the United States, it also provides me the opportunity to meet people from different cultures.

Peak season

During busy tax season (February to April 15th), I normally work 12 hours a day, six days a week. If not at the airport, waiting for my flight, a typical day for me would be sitting in my office early in the morning before the sun rises and leaving work when the sun has set. Any CPA in public accounting would agree that this profession entails a lot of work and putting in a lot of hours. Traveling frequently can be exhausting, but I still enjoy it after doing it for more than 8 years now.  I have to say, I enjoy the fast-paced life.  Fortunately, I am able to sustain such a busy career with the help, understanding and support of my family.

Over the years, I have also built relationships with clients. Many of them I have become friends with. These relationships have yielded client referrals, which I get most of my business from.

Hard work is the secret of success

If there were a story I could like to share to inspire my fellow Filipinos, it would be how I overcame all the hardships and struggles in trying to excel in a foreign country.

My family and I moved to the United States in 2002. I had been working for one of the biggest banks in the Philippines for 10 years, when my husband and I decided to leave the country and start a new life in the U.S. It was a difficult decision to make as I had already established a career as a CPA/Internal Audit Manager at that time.  I was already comfortable where I was, but the opportunity was so great to pass up.

When we came to the States, I didn’t plan on pursuing my accounting career. However, the opportunity presented itself when I got a job at Filipino-owned CPA firm. After working for just a few months, I was encouraged to pursue becoming a CPA. I remember the review course and the exam fees being costly and at the time and I wasn’t making enough to afford them. After giving it some thought, my husband and I decided to use our savings for the CPA exam. I reviewed for the test while working full time, sleeping four hours a day, almost everyday. I took all four parts of the exam at one sitting and passed them all the first time. The rest was history.

I started as an audit/accounting staff at my current job and became the first Asian and female partner of the firm after five years of service. To this day, I continue to work hard and strive to be better at what I do, continuously sharpening the saw to keep up with the competitive industry of accounting and the ever-changing technology.

My message to my fellow Filipinos is that there is no shortcut to success; the way is through hard work, hard work and hard work.  Building a reputation for good work ethic takes time but when earned, will take you a long way.

I wish all the best to the Filipino OFW’s.  Hats off to you guys!