Converge announces key movements in its leadership team

CEBU CITY -- Converge ICT Solutions Inc. announced recently key movements within its leadership team to fortify executive and strategic operations to chart a future-forward direction focusing on long-term resilience and sustainable growth.

In a Board of Directors Organizational Meeting on May 30, after the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, Jesus Romero, Converge’s chief operations officer signified his desire to retire from the Company after nine years of service, which the Board unanimously approved.  Romero’s retirement is effective on end of business day of June 30, 2025.

The Board then appointed Benjamin Rex Emilio Azada as the new Chief Operations Officer effective July 1, 2025, to handle the reins of the overall operations of Converge.

“Boboy has seen us through the bold entry of Converge in the broadband market, to the hypergrowth years during the pandemic, and we are truly grateful. And now as we leap into the future, we look forward to continuing having Boboy as a supportive business partner,” Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy thanked Romero for his invaluable contributions to Converge, particularly his role in successfully translating the tremendous demand for fiber broadband faced by the company at the height of the pandemic into tangible gains.

Uy shared that Converge is entering an exciting new era that will be defined by dynamic changes and innovations. The Company made strategic adjustments to its management as it evolves into a technology company.  There is a need for this kind of focus for the Company to leap into the future with beyond-connectivity services and innovative solutions that leverage pivotal technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and cloud computing.

"We are proud to put Benjie, a trusted and seasoned executive whose talents have spanned the areas of Strategy, Sustainability, and Product Development, Sales and Marketing, to lead overall company operations,” Uy announced the appointment of Azada.

Azada finished his BS Industrial Engineering degree at the University of the Philippines, and earned his Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (with Merit) from the University of Durham, in England. Prior to joining Converge, Azada was the Consulting Managing Principal and a Management Board member of PwC Philippines, and also a Partner of PwC’s South East Asia Consulting Practice.

After serving as Converge Chief Strategy Officer for almost four years, Azada was appointed Chief Commercial Officer early in 2024 and helped steer Converge to sustained growth with total revenues jumping almost 15% in 2024 compared to its year-ago level as the residential subscriber base increased by 20% to more than 2.5 million at the end of that year and now reaching over 2.7 million customers.

Azada will relinquish commercial operations to capable hands directly supporting the company’s sales and marketing strategies, ensuring sustained business growth. Azada, who was also Chief Sustainability Officer, will hand over his sustainability portfolio to Converge Corporate Compliance Officer Laurice Esteban-Tuason who was named as Corporate Sustainability Officer, concurrent with her position as Converge Corporate Compliance and Data Protection Officer.

Atty. Esteban-Tuason was recently lauded as the Best Data Privacy Officer (in the sector of General Management and Services) by the Philippines’ leading professional information security organization, the Information Security Officers Group (ISOG). She also recently completed her Master’s in Cybersecurity, With High Distinction, at the Asian Institute of Management.

Meanwhile, Converge Treasurer, Christine Renee Blabagno, was appointed concurrently as Chief Risk Officer to focus on strategic risk management of Converge, especially with the changing business and social climate in the Philippines and the evolving broadband landscape.

Christine Blabagno brings over 25 years of financial management to Converge, having been a financial leader and strategist for over 14 years at a telco company in various leadership positions, the last being Vice President of Consolidated Core Business Controllership. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant with a professional diploma in Enterprise Risk Planning & Management from the National University of Singapore.

“With these changes in our leadership team, we are entering a new chapter—one that positions us more strategically for greater growth. By revamping the leadership bench while reinforcing our core values, we’re building the momentum needed to seize new opportunities and navigate the future as we transition to a techco,” Converge President and Co-Founder Maria Grace Uy shared. (Photos: Converge)