Our people and culture

At ACEN, we prioritize our goal to attract, retain and grow the best talent in each aspect of our business, as the quest for a Net Zero world is a tall order indeed. ACEN 2030 is an aggressive goal and we believe that we have the right elements to succeed. We have a strong balance sheet, robust pipeline, strong partnerships and most importantly, a highly energized organization. We put our people first – we provide a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for our people, a workplace where they can feel a complete sense of ownership and belongingness, and where their opinions matter. We believe in fostering an inclusive culture where everyone feels they are heard, treated fairly and with respect. We create programs and benefits that support the development of the entire organization, ensure a safe work environment and a diverse culture for our employees.

As we move forward with our commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050, and the successful completion of the ETM transaction which involves the early retirement of the remaining coal plant and transitioning to cleaner technology. ACEN supports a Just Energy Transition even after the divestment completion. We continue to collaborate with key stakeholders and other industries to develop transition plans and help the workforce to develop skills for new energy technologies.

ACEN promotes personal growth in the organization and is committed to providing equality of opportunity for learning and development to its employees. The company believes in lifelong and continuous learning anchored on the principle of continuous improvement and one’s ownership of career development.

ACEN’s learning and development strategy revolves around a blended learning approach that accelerates development of emerging and business competencies. Furthermore, ACEN has established its Learning and Development Policy to provide structured guidelines for the implementation of an organizational-wide talent development program. ACEN advocates a modular framework for continuous learning anchored on 3 components: Experience, Education, and Exposure.

We launched a career and learning roadshow to address the sentiments of employees on career development. This roadshow aims to educate and empower employees to take charge of their career pathways through discussions on vertical and lateral career growth, building organizational capabilities and career tracks. For learning and development opportunities within the development plans of our employees, we offer support for employees who wish to pursue certifications and further education. Furthermore, ACEN has launched its mentorship program to provide an avenue for the organization’s leadership team to impart useful knowledge and experience for further employee development.

ACEN has bolstered its training efforts by launching a comprehensive set of learning and development programs covering a wide range of core, governance and targeted learning materials offered to all regular employees. Core programs provide fundamental competencies that are relevant across all business units. Governance programs are championed by specific business units to promote compliance and good governance across the company. These programs cover specific themes such as cybersecurity, anti-corruption and business ethics, diversity, equity and inclusion, and ACEN’s code of conduct. Lastly, ACEN’s targeted programs are programs aligned with an employee’s development plans or learning needs to address specific competency gaps.

To complement its internal training programs, ACEN partners with educational institutions to provide additional career development opportunities for its employees. Each year, ACEN conducts the Emerging Ayala Group Leaders (EAGLE) Program in partnership with Emeritus and Columbia Business School Executive Education. Participants are offered an immersive learning experience with live faculty sessions from industry experts and asynchronous learning modules covering the dimensions of leadership, problem-solving, and value creation. In 2022, ACEN sent 8 individuals to participate and complete the EAGLE program. Since 2015, ACEN participates in the leadership programs such as the Ayala Leadership Acceleration Program (LEAP) equip our Management Team to maneuver the organization in a swift and agile manner, in line with the demands of the dynamic energy sector that it navigates. This also includes executive educational programs and function-specific programs, coaching and feedback mechanisms. In 2022, we partnered with Zenger Folkman to conduct a 360-feedback leadership development program for 15 of its executives.

ACEN takes pride in its high employee engagement score, as the organization rallies behind ACEN’s 2030 goals, supported by activities aimed to improve our employees’ well-being.

In order to assess employee sentiments in real time, ACEN launched a quarterly pulse survey to evaluate the company’s efforts in relation to employee attraction, development, engagement, well-being and retention. The most recent employee engagement survey WTW indicated a Sustainable Engagement score of 93% across ACEN. The periodic survey serves as feedback mechanisms and reference data for management on how to sustain effectiveness of its employee policies and programs.

Managing the performance of all employees is also an important part of motivating and engaging our workforce, creating a venue for us to set clear targets for each team member and to help them understand how they contribute to the company’s shared goals. To ensure personal and professional growth of each employee, a rigorous performance appraisal process is held each year which starts from goal setting, talent review using our nine-box grid and individual development plan (IDP), and the performance review proper.

We also helped foster work-life balance through special interest groups that cater to various personal interests of our employees, allowing them to pursue hobbies and passions on a regular basis. As part of our commitment to our employees, we acknowledge the importance of supporting our team’s physical and mental well-being. ACEN’s year-wide employee engagement calendar included activities such as online concerts, sports tournaments, employee volunteerism programs, personalized mental health and well-being support, and virtual team building events. Online counseling and psychological well-being hotline channels are also made available for ACEN employees.