Ep 375 - The Hustle Behind Globe Telecom

EPISODE INTRODUCTION

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Ernest Cu, President and CEO of Globe Telecom, to trace the journey from helping in a family business and studying in the U.S. to building a career in tech and returning home to make his mark. They dive into Ernest’s first entrepreneurial leap, his role in shaping the Philippines’ BPO boom, and the leadership mindset that helped transform Globe into a digital-era powerhouse.

EpISODE Timeline:

00:01:31 – Meet Ernest Cu: President and CEO of the Philippines’ biggest telco
00:05:00 – Entrepreneur roots: growing up in a family business
00:08:12 – Lessons from parents: discipline, finances, and first-mover mindset
00:12:55 – First job in the U.S.: early BPO before it was called BPO
00:17:10 – First major failure: losing the business and hard lessons learned
00:21:23 – Becoming CEO again: first major corporate turnaround
00:24:37 – Scaling BPO before it was mainstream
00:26:29 – From projects to recurring revenue: reshaping the business model
00:31:15 – Selling the Philippines to the world: competing with India
00:34:39 – Joining Globe: walking into an industry on the brink of disruption
00:37:36 – Culture shift: from utility mindset to customer-first innovation
00:39:31 – Eight-year transformation: rising to industry leadership
00:45:21 – Failure inside Globe: small bets, fast learning
00:49:40 – Navigating uncertainty: leadership during prolonged disruption
00:50:10 – Sounding boards over advice: who Ernest turns to for big decisions

“The right time to monetize your business is something every businessperson should be watching out for”

RESOURCES:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestcu/
Website: https://www.globe.com.ph/

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