The P&G Grand Reunion was both emotional and insightful as we reflected on life after P&G. I had eagerly anticipated reconnecting with all the Proctoids—my P&G colleagues, mentors, friends, and teammates from my years at the Tondo and Cabuyao plants, the General Office, the IT organization, and the launch of Global Business Services. I left P&G in 2008 to pursue blogging, a choice that many colleagues didn’t fully understand at the time. Sixteen years later, reuniting with everyone brought back so many memories and offered a chance to reflect on what truly matters when starting out on your career.
Here are 8 lessons I learned from the P&G Grand Reunion of 2024:
COMPANY OF MENTORS
I owe all my management and marketing skills to the incredible mentors I had throughout my P&G career—Boy de la Peña from my Tondo and Cabuyao Plant days, IT boss Susan Ong, Workplace Services boss Nick Antonio, and Johnip Cua from my MDO days at P&G Philippines. Thank you!
As you begin your career, seek out mentors who can teach you lifelong skills. They may not make things easy, but that’s often where the greatest learning happens.
THE P&G ALUMNI FUND
I’m proud to have worked for a multinational company that continues to support its people, even after they’ve moved on. Think about it—does your former company have an Alumni Organization that looks after the well-being of past employees and prepares an alumni fund for critical times in their lives? Only the great ones do.
If your previous company doesn’t have an alumni organization or an alumni fund, it’s not too late to start one. Take care of your alumni; instead of ‘passing the hat’ every time a colleague falls ill, establish a fund to provide support when they need it most.
STILL IN P&G!
It’s inspiring to see companies that promote from within, where people you once hired or worked with early on grow to become leaders and senior directors. I’m so proud of them, and they seem genuinely happy building a long-term career at P&G.
Jen now leads the Manila Intelligence Hub, which has grown to nearly 2,000 people, even after many moved to HP and IBM. Global Business Services has become one of the most successful IT organizations in Manila, and I’m proud to have been part of it. It’s great to see them looking for engineers and data scientists—important information as we help our kids consider career paths worth pursuing.
TONDO PLANT & CABUYAO PLANT FOUNDATION
I still remember a valuable lesson from one of my most respected mentors in Tondo, Boy de la Peña, who taught me the ‘kite principle’ for training new hires. He emphasized keeping the kite string tight at the start so it can withstand strong winds, loosening it only when they’re ready to fly. When the time comes, they’ll soar higher and faster.
Looking back, my time at the Tondo and Cabuyao Plants remains one of my most cherished career memories. I noticed that, despite a mass exodus of leaders from P&G Tondo and Cabuyao, the plants continue to thrive with new people and new leaders. When choosing a career, remember that a company will carry on without you; what truly matters are the people you help along the way, and never stepping on others to get ahead.
PROUD TO SEE NEW HIRES ARE NOW LEADERS
I’m so proud of Camille and all the new hires we brought on and trained during my final days at P&G. Today, they’re CIOs and leaders in their own organizations beyond P&G. We’re always grateful to our mentors, but it’s just as important to pay it forward to the next generation of leaders.
If you’ve been a leader, think about how many of your former teammates would come back to say ‘thank you.’ At the end of the day, we make our world a better place through the people we touch, train, and support as they grow in their careers.
SALES PEOPLE ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
I cherish the time I spent with the incredible P&G Sales team—people like Macky and all the other Sales professionals from Levi Labra’s era. At the reunion, it was clear that many in Sales have found great success beyond P&G, either building their own businesses, moving into consulting, or supporting small and medium enterprises that can’t typically access the expertise of multinational talent. Congratulations to all—I’m proud to have worked with you!
If you have the chance to work in Sales early in your career, take it. You’ll gain lifelong skills in selling on the ground and in building a business.
BEAUTIFUL LADIES OF P&G ARE STILL HOT
Even after all these years, P&G folks still fondly remember the ‘crushes’ of the organization—Pauline, Lelen, Susan, and, of course, the ever-stunning Christine from Marketing. Sales’ ‘Crush ng Bayan,’ Tanya, couldn’t make it, but everyone was asking about her!
You have to look your best at these reunions, and it’s true—the successful ones often look younger than their age.
P&G PRIESTS!
It was wonderful reconnecting with Fr. Bros Flores, my batchmate from when we were first hired at P&G. He’s now a Jesuit priest, showing how sometimes you just know when corporate life isn’t your calling. It’s always a gift to have a priest as a friend on this journey through life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The P&G network is incredible—connections everywhere! I’m grateful to our P&G Alumni leaders for their vision in creating this Alumni Network, helping us stay connected and support each other even after “Life after P&G.”
Let’s keep supporting each other to make the world a better place. If you have a food, travel, or lifestyle business, feel free to reach out at +63 917 5683627. I’d love to connect and offer insights, marketing help, or any support I can. Let’s grab coffee or, even better, meet at a great restaurant to catch up and share stories!
Once a P&Ger, always a P&Ger for life.
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by 100% human, with my own biases, opinions, and insights. It was then grammar-checked by AI.
ABOUT P&G ALUMNI GRAND REUNION
The P&G Alumni Grand Reunion takes place every 10 years, with the last one in 2014, this one in 2024, and the next anticipated in 2034. This Grand Alumni Reunion also serves as a fundraising campaign for the P&Ger Fund, supporting P&G Philippines alumni as the company celebrates 90 years in 2024. Just imagine—the next reunion in 2034 will mark 100 years of P&G in the Philippines!
Thanks for your post, Anton. Do you know my fellow Mapuans, Alvin Vicedo and Eric Amurao? Alvin Vicedo was my classmate/batchmate and Eric Amurao was my schoolmate. I wish that I can work at P&G here in Sacramento, California.
Hi, i want to ask re the PG Alumni Fund. Who administers it? What is it for specifically? Did PG contribute to it? Thanks.
Thank you, Anton, for the kind words.
The fund started from P11.000 contributed by 11 founding members. That was 20 years ago. The goal was philanthropic – to help former P&G colleagues who were in dire need – whether the cause was medical, loss of livelihood, a calamity or a personal disaster. The fund grew from donations from FORMER P&G employees. the Charity Fund of current employees, from our alma mater P&G Phil., and from vaiousoópp creative fund raising activities. The board was also prudent with the management of the fund.