From ‘head of HR’ to ‘improve-your-English’ coach

In the professional world, communication is currency. Even for the spreadsheet-dominated practice of accounting. So when Ben Punongbayan decided to start his own auditing firm, he understood that its professional edge would rest heavily on how well its people can wield the lingua franca of the business community.

To this end, the accounting veteran made two critical moves: He made communication skills a priority in the firm’s training track, and he hired an HR man who shared his passion for the effective use of language – in writing and, eventually, even in speaking.

CPA Alfredo Damian has always harbored a fascination for the English language, an unexpected sentiment considering his early years. He grew up in a small barrio in Baliuag, Bulacan where he had no access to mainstream media and where locals thought speaking in a foreign language approximated arrogance. But thanks to the influence of one English teacher who saw potential in the young boy, Damian was inspired to master this foreign tongue.

"I knew if I practiced speaking in English in front of my classmates, they would laugh at me," he shares. So the persistent student did the next best thing: "On the walk home from school, I’d let my friends go ahead so I could have the road all to myself. Then I’d start talking to the carabaos and cows grazing on one side of the field, and the rows of stringbeans growing on the other side," he laughingly recalls. "I would ask them how they’re doing, if they had a good day. It didn’t matter that they never spoke back."

His daily practice, however crude, paid off. Damian became the first college graduate of his little barrio and the first to secure a professional job: In Manila, he started his career with a public accounting firm where, coincidentally, Punongbayan was an audit partner. Damian was eager to dive into audit work, but after just a few audit seasons, his real passion inevitably resurfaced.

"While working on a particularly tough audit assignment for a giant steel mill, I told my engagement manager I didn’t think I was cut out for the job, but he advised me to at least complete the engagement, and then from there, decide what to do next," Damian said. But before he could even do that, an opening materialized in the firm’s HR division. The HR group head, remembering Damian’s gregarious nature and gift for gab, immediately offered him the post. "I didn’t hesitate, I accepted right away," said Damian, who recognized serendipity when it happened to him. "I would’ve been a lost soul altogether had I not stumbled into HR. So I guess all of this is pure luck," he fondly admits.

Having finally found his niche, Damian quickly made a name for himself as an intrepid recruiter. During Punongbayan & Araullo’s (P&A) first year in operation, Damian handpicked and signed on 13 fresh accounting graduates. It was his way of proving his talent for spotting talent: When the CPA board results were released six months later, nine of Damian’s choice picks emerged as topnotchers.

As HR head of a fledgling firm, Damian also had to do his share in making sure P&A got as much exposure as possible. He was practically strong-armed into joining accounting associations, where he quickly became known as the go-to guy for hosting duties. "The other members, who I guess did not enjoy speaking in public as much as I did, were only too happy to surrender the stage to me, so at the drop of a hat, I would take on the role of emcee for many events," Damian sheepishly admits. His regular hosting gigs, particularly for the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), further validated Damian’s decision to shift to HR, as he got the rare pleasure of introducing celebrities who are known for being good communicators, like Orly Mercado, Oscar Orbos, Loren Legarda, Korina Sanchez, Mike Enriquez and Damian’s ultimate idol, Supreme Court Justice Claudio Teehankee. It was a far cry from his days of conversing with farm animals and creeping vines.

In his own backyard at P&A, Damian was also steadily building the foundations for Punongbayan’s vision of a keen and articulate workforce and, unwittingly, recruiting fellow crusaders for the cause. Damian took the lead in tapping a team of University of the Philippines professors who now regularly conduct English writing training courses for P&A staff. He launched a Speak English program at P&A that encouraged staff members to speak only English at the start of every workday. Current CEO and Managing Partner Greg Navarro followed his lead and put together an eight-session creative writing class that gave participants the opportunity to park the "accountant" side of their brains at the door.

Now nearing retirement, the auditor-turned HR manager is still at it: One of Damian’s last assignments is to evaluate and further improve the English program he helped start at P&A. Having seen batches of his new hires go through the training, earn their stripes in the practice, and eventually make it to upper management, Damian couldn’t ask for a more fitting denouement for his career with P&A. But his advocacy for sublime English doesn’t end there.

"After I close this chapter of my life with P&A, I would like to put up a small boutique practice so I can continue doing what I love most. From ‘Head of HR & Communication,’ my business card will now read ‘Improve-Your-English Coach’," beams Damian. Stammering speakers out there will then have one less excuse for their bumbles.