Emilio Festejo: Taking Nextel to the next level

In this day and age, new technology arrives more rapidly with each novel innovation more powerful and convenient than the last. When the Philippines liberalized the telecom industry, who would have though it would change the way we communicate?

Nextel Philippines president Emilio Festejo compares the arrival of cellular phones to other "disruptive technology" such as television, cars and computers, which have revolutionized the lives of people worldwide. "When I say disruptive,I mean it in a positive way. These types of technologies have caught more than just everybody’s attention, they have changed everyone’s lives," Mel said.

Foreseeing the arrival of another "disruptive technology," Mel is already preparing the company to take full advantage of the upcoming wireless data revolution. Worldwide, wireless data is a paradigm-shifting technology poised at creating new pathways for business, entertainment and information through the convergence of telecommunications, Internet and the media.

"The coming of wireless data-enabling technology will bring forth a plethora of new goods and services that will once more transform our lives. In the process, wireless telecommunications providers capable of giving this technology will become industry leaders. This is what Nextel aims to become in the near future," Mel said.

Man of vision

When Mel was named president of Nextel Communications Philippines, Inc. (NCPI) last March, he gamely took on the reins of handling the overall operations of NCPI and quickly established a good rapport with the company employees. "One thing I made sure when I assumed this position was to help our employees understand the company’s vision and business plan, as well as have an idea of how to accomplish Nextel’s goals," Mel said.

Being a leader comes naturally for Mel, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. "I always felt I had developed the interpersonal skills from school and mentioning abilities in the companies I worked for," Mel said.

In his line of work, being a psychology major proved advantageous for Mel – especially when he has to deal with a lot of people everyday. "In this business, you play a lot of mind games with your competitors and clients. You have to anticipate what your opponent’s next move is or how you can convince your customers that you have the right product that answers their needs," Mel replied.

Prior to joining NCPI in September 2000, Mel served as a consultant for a number of technology related companies. He was also the deputy general manager of Nortel Networks, Inc., and much earlier, the executive vice president for customer operations of Express Telecoms (Extelcom).

Mel also had a stint in public service as the city administrator of Quezon City for two years, where he was in charge of all administrative, operational and financial management. In all these capacities, he significantly contributed to people and business development. At Nextel, Mel served as consulting director for project management before he was appointed president.

Techie at heart

Despite his hectic work schedule, Mel also knows how important it is to enjoy and spend some down time with his family. When asked what he does during his leisure time, Mel said that he is more into catching up on hi-tech gizmos and gadgets as well as the latest in audio and video equipment. "I always make it a point to pass by the computer shops, telecoms and appliance centers to see what’s new in their display shelves. We should keep abreast with these latest technologies and figure how it will change our lives," Mel replied.

It was because of his love for hi-tech gadgets that he received his "calling" to try his hand in the telecommunications industry. "When I joined Extelcom, I discovered by accident that I had an affinity for telecommunications. During that time, the wireless telecoms industry was still at its early stage of development, so I decided I wanted to be a part of his promising industry," Mel related.

Right now, Mel sees a tremendous opportunity for the Nextel brand to become a formidable force in the rapidly changing worldwide marketplace for advanced wireless services. As more Filipinos are expecting better and faster services from their telecommunications service provider, Nextel is prepared to meet their demands with its complete telecommunications products, services and solutions.

Soon, Nextel will commercially launch the very first wireless packet data service in the country, a breakthrough product in the wireless industry. With the wireless packet data service, the realm of wireless Internet will complement the multiple services and features of Nextel. Without the need for a desktop or Internet subscription, subscribers will be able to access the Web and send or receive e-mail anytime, anywhere at a flat monthly rate.

The Nextel handset virtually becomes the Internet and an e-mail device – creating infinite possibilities and opportunities for users. As an effective carrier of any kind of information for businesses and individual users, Nextel can further boost productivity and efficiency in the workplace with its customized business applications.

"Nextel’s packet data service gives you mobile connectivity and an "always on" function. Critical information that may impact your business is readily available to your mobile workforce anytime, anywhere. It also provides savings as no additional investments are required – no need to change to more expensive, hard-to-come-by mobile phones. Nextel handset models since 1999 are packet data ready," Mel said.

With the most advanced company that delivers technology and innovative programs, Mel is confident that Nextel is poised to outgrow the competition and establish itself as the benchmark in the wireless telecommunications industry.