MANILA, Philippines - Aegis Limited, a leading outsourcing services provider and part of the Essar Group, inaugurated recently its newest building in Cebu. The inauguration event was well attended by Aegis business leaders, clients, employees, vendors, Cebu local officials, and local and national media. Aegis Tower in Cebu is the first building in the city custom-built entirely for an outsourcing company.
The company, which employs over 50,000 employees across 50 locations globally, announced its intent to expand its operations in the Philippines with the opening of the new building.
This is due to the significant and continuing demand for experience-driven customer support from both local and international clients.
Aegis has achieved great success in the Philippines with its current headcount crossing the 12,000-mark, and aims to add 3,000 more jobs by the end of the year with the addition of this new facility, making Aegis one of the largest private employers in the country.
“Aegis has evolved from being a provider of cost-effective services to a balance sheet partner focusing on end-user experience and business transformation. This change has found widespread acceptance among customers and we look forward to a very exciting future,” said Aparup Sengupta, managing director and Global CEO of Aegis. “We are committed in this region, particularly the Philippines, since we believe that it is tomorrow’s emerging market.”
Aegis has emerged as one of the fastest-growing outsourcing companies in the world.
“We aim to become a $1 billion company, crossing the 60,000-mark in headcount by March 2012. The Philippine market plays a big part in helping us achieve our goals,” added Sengupta.
Currently with centers across Metro Manila, Cebu, and Baguio, Aegis’ expansion in Cebu highlights its commitment to the Philippine outsourcing industry and the Filipino talent. Rajiv Ahuja, president for ASEAN and ANZ at Aegis said: “Aegis’ greenfield expansion in Philippines has a lot to do with businesses in a variety of industry sectors, both domestic and offshore. They are increasingly looking for efficiency improvements across all their operations along with the right experience, which is opening up fresh opportunities for skilled outsourcing providers.”
“Cebu continues to provide an extremely skilled workforce providing great cultural affinity and enhanced customer experience for our clients,” added Ahuja.
In the construction of the building, Aegis has taken several energy-saving measures to reduce overall carbon footprint. The building was designed to maximize energy efficiency, using sustainable materials sourced from suppliers with environment-friendly practices.
Aegis is aiming to have Aegis Tower’s Phase 1 become the first Gold-level purpose-built business process outsourcing building in the Philippines certified under the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) version 2.2 standard for New Construction and Major Renovation. Phase 2 of the project, which will be completed by mid-2012, is aiming for the same accomplishment under the LEED version 2009 standard.
On the other hand, Bong Borja, president of Aegis PeopleSupport, expressed optimism on the continued growth of Aegis in the Philippines. “The new tower intends to not only give Aegis employees a comfortable and conducive working environment, it is also an edifice where they can take pride - they will be proud to work for a company that invests in their talents and provides them the best working condition possible.,” Mr. Borja said.
The 3,000-seat BPO building offers employees a favorable working environment with the use of natural light, the availability of a rooftop garden with a water feature, and a multi-level FSC-certified wood decking. The building also features state-of-the-art fitness center with dance studio and a recreation center/lounge for the enjoyment of Aegis employees.
Sandip Sen, president, Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) business, said: “The Aegis Tower in Cebu is a great achievement for us at Aegis, which has further strengthened our commitment to bring employment and business to the Philippines. The country is an important offshore location for United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and I am confident of business growth in the coming years. We will continue to do everything to fulfill our commitment to our employees and global customers through our world-class facility and talent in the region”.