Pinoy Pro – Celebrating the Professional Pinoy

Medel Aviles

Country Director – UAE

UNILEVER GULF FZE – United Arab Emirates

Medel has been in Dubai with his family for over two years now with Unilever as Country Director, UAE. In this role, he serves as General Manager for two joint venture companies, Al Gurg Unilever and Thani Murshid Unilever. Born and raised in a close-knit family in Davao City, Medel was hired by P&G Philippines right after his graduation from Ateneo De Davao. After five years, eager to join Filipino companies, he then worked a total of six years for both Purefoods Corporation and San Miguel Foods, Inc. From there he moved on to Unilever.  His first post in the company was Regional Manager for Unilever China, where he was tasked to set up and manage the Central China regional branch office. Two years thereafter, he was assigned a role in the Asia Pacific regional office for three years, after which he moved back to the Philippine operations and was given various assignments, the last of which was Customer Marketing Director, before he took on his current post in the UAE.  Medel is married to Milen Baltazar, a former colleague at San Miguel, and together they have three children. While he is passionate for his work, he is also a doting father who likes to bake for his family on the weekends.

Ramon Navea

Service Quality Improvement Manager –

Dubai, Sharjah & Northern Emirates

UNION NATIONAL BANK – UAE

University of Santo Tomas graduate Ramon Navea started his career in the hospitality sector at the young age of 17, working up to his strengths and becoming a department head at the age of 26. He had the benefit of working with multinational companies, as well as diverse nationalities during his stint in the hotel and restaurant sector, and worked primarily with Le Meridien, Mandarin Oriental and the Jumeirah Properties. Ramon moved to Emirates Flight Catering where he became involved in Total Quality Management (TQM) Principles in 2001.  He eventually joined the banking sector when he moved to Union National Bank in 2004 and has been the company’s Service Quality Improvement Manager for Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, for the past six years. Ramon has shining credentials and is a certified Lead Auditor in Integrated Management System (IMS) which comprises the elements of  Quality Management System, QMS ISO 9001:2008; Occupational Health and Safety System, OHSAS 18001 and Environment Management System, ISO 14001, and a member of the Dubai Quality Group (DQG), as well as the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Ramon, his wife and two sons have been residents of the emirates since 1993.  The avid golfer is the Chairman of the Filipino Golfers in the Middle East (FIGME) – a group active in organizing structured golf tournaments and donating the proceeds to their adopted foundation which is Bantay Bata 163.

Xernes Martinez

Global Project Manager

PRAXIS GLOBAL RESEARCH – UAE

Laoag native Xernes Martinez is a young executive who climbed the corporate ladder in the area of local events management impressively.  Currently working for Praxis Global Research as a Global Project Manager, Xernes also worked with the British Business Group where he was instrumental in organizing events which hosted high profile VIPs like HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, Digby Lord Jones, UK’s Minister of State for Trade & Investment, as well as HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid al Qasimi, Minister for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates.  Xernes’ eight year career in the emirates began at the Fairmont Hotel where he started as Concierge with the hotel’s opening team in 2002, working his way to Conferences Services and Catering Coordinator, through to Asst. Manager of Conferences Services and Catering in 2007.  During his early years at the Fairmont, he was awarded as the “Best Concierge for Shopping Knowledge in Dubai” for 2003, and won the “Best Concierge Team” award for the same year. A proud graduate of Tourism at the University if the Philippines, multi-talented Xernes, was also an active performer of the UP Filipiniana Dance Group which gave him opportunities to travel to Europe, at an early age, representing the Philippines in Dance Festivals. He also travelled around Asia as a Filipino Youth Ambassador for the 28^th Ship for South East Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP).

Rolando dela Cruz Parel

Senior Sales Consultant and Stylist

BO CONCEPT – UAE

Originally involved with the technical sector of Quality Control and Assurance in the Philippines, Rolando dela Cruz Parel’s career took a complete shift when he landed in Dubai some five years ago. He works in the creative field, particularly in retail, as a Senior Sales Consultant and Stylist for Bo Concept, a design company that creates customized and coordinated furniture for discerning urban-minded consumers. In his position, Rolando is responsible for interior design, as well as providing training to his colleagues in maintaining brand standards.  His hard work paid off when Bo Concept’s headquarters in Denmark recognized his efforts and included him in the much-awaited 2011Collection Design Catalogue, where he is the only one from the Middle East to be featured providing interior design style tips to urban-minded customers. The launch of the prominent catalogue is celebrated by the company in style every year. Driven to excel in his chosen field, the father of four children says that his family is his reason and strength that keep him focused on achievement.