Working as one
NAVARRO AMPER & Co. began in 1997 as a management consulting firm led by Dr. Conchita L. Manabat. Today, it is recognized as one of the top professional services firms in the Philippines, providing audit, tax, risk and financial advisory, and business process solutions.
The firm joined the Deloitte global organization in 1999 and later on became part of Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd, which is comprised of over 270 partners and 6,300 professionals in Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Deloitte member firms combine their technical expertise and industry knowledge in order to provide comprehensive, high- quality services to companies in the region.
Navarro Amper & Co. prides itself in being a forward-looking adviser to its clients. As early as 2006, even before the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community ( AEC) became a buzz word, the firm had decided to work more closely with other member firms in the region through Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd to better harness their collective strengths.
“Each ASEAN country is very small, so it’s difficult to have a voice in the global Deloitte network. But when we banded together as the Southeast Asia cluster, then immediately we had a seat in the global boardroom,” said Navarro Amper & Co. Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer Greg Navarro in an interview with
“When we speak, we speak under the united banner of ASEAN, and people listen. That’s the strength that we bring to the table—the expertise of our entire ASEAN practice, and wherever this expertise is needed, we can easily move our people around without much hassle,” he added.
The firm consequently uses its combined services to deliver solu- tions that take into consideration the big picture. It is, perhaps, what the firm calls its unique 360-degree perspective, or “the Deloitte difference.”
To maintain and strengthen its relationship with its clients, Navarro Amper & Co. makes it a point to put together the right team for all of its engagements. Apart from that, the firm believes in continu- ously improving and embracing the complexity and dynamism of its business environment.
“We put a lot of emphasis on planning, on quality, and on maintaining clear channels of communications so that we are always responsive to our clients’ needs and we are able to resolve issues quickly,” Mr. Navarro noted.
In everything it does, the firm is guided by the values of integrity, outstanding value to markets and clients, commitment to each other, and strength from cultural diversity.
Deloitte aspires to be a standard of excellence and to become the first choice of the most sought-after clients and talents. To this end, the organization sees every member firm’s unique identity as an asset to the entire team.
“With an organization that is present in over 150 countries, you will see a lot of cultural diversity, people with vastly different backgrounds, opinions, and work styles. It’s very important that instead of making this a weakness, we are able to leverage it as a strength, as a tool to develop better professionals and leaders not just in the profession, but in the global business community,” he said.
Asked about the firm’s future plans, Mr. Navarro stated that their next step is to provide multi- disciplinary and multi-cultural engagement teams to Philippine companies.
“In the last two or three years, I’ve seen local businesses that have started to realize the value of cross- cultural expertise, of talents coming from outside the Philippines who can provide broader insights and benchmarks of their own,” added Mr. Navarro.
The movement towards good governance and the realization that local businesses have to step up their game in order to compete in an integrated ASEAN have made the Philippines an exciting place to do business in. Mr. Navarro welcomes the challenge. He is confident Deloitte is more than ready to help businesses not just here, but elsewhere in the region, take advantage of the opportunities in this dynamic market.
“In over 150 countries, you will see a lot of cultural diversity, people with vastly different backgrounds, opinions, and work styles. It’s very important that instead of making this a weakness, we are able to leverage it as a strength, as a tool to develop better professionals and leaders not just in the profession, but in the global business community.”