The deities of the universe must have whispered to her parents’ ears what name would best fit her. Thus, the most befitting name was given to Maria Grace Uy. The president and co-founder of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is certainly a woman who carries herself with much grace.
That’s the first thing you’ll notice when you meet her – she is gracious, poised, kind, confident and beautiful inside and out. Her style is simple yet elegant. Simplicity, she believes, is the ultimate form of sophistication.
The grace she exudes, matched with grit, is perhaps Grace’s secret to success.
In 2007, she and her husband, Dennis Anthony Uy, put up Converge, a telecommunications service provider that has disrupted the telco duopoly in the Philippines.
Of course, like most success stories, Grace’s story didn’t happen overnight. It’s a long, continuing journey and the first chapter was written by her mother.
Mother knows best
“My mom was the most pivotal person in shaping me to become who I am today. She raised me to be hard working, driven, goal-oriented and conscientious. Growing up, she would repeatedly tell me: Always have a goal, work hard and be in control of your life,” Grace says.
Grace is the youngest and the only daughter of a middle-class, third-generation Chinese-Filipino family.
Her father worked for a plastic manufacturing company while her mother used to make clothes for babies.
Unfortunately, her mother passed away when Grace was only 13, giving her more responsibilities very early on. Just the same, her mother bequeathed to her a strong belief in education. “She was a large believer in the power of education. It can provide opportunities that can dictate who we become and what we can create for our future. In the same way, I try to impart these lessons to my kids,” expounds Grace, who is herself a mother of three.
Thus, upon the prodding of her mother, Grace made sure she studied hard. She pursued a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at the De La Salle University and eventually landed in 16th place in the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure Board Examination in 1989.
Obviously, she loved numbers.
After finishing her studies, she worked for a multinational, which helped her prepare to grow Converge into the business it is today.
Observers say that she and her husband, Dennis, make a formidable team. After all, Dennis is the tech-savvy visionary while Grace is the one who turns this vision into reality. Perhaps, she is Hermione to Dennis’ Harry and ultimately the one who keeps the magic wand powerful.
Together, they built a tech kingdom and it continues to grow.
“We founded Converge because we really believed that our people deserve something better. We wanted to give our people world-class connectivity which we had already been enjoying in our home. Thus, we built Converge with the intention of creating a world-class ICT organization that empowers people, businesses and the nation to be their best,” she says.
Nation-building
The business in itself is integral to nation-building as everything now revolves around connectivity and digitalization, says Grace.
“Now that we are rebuilding and recovering from the pandemic, one thing has become very clear: We have emerged into a world where digitalization lies at the core of people’s lives. Digital transformation is not a buzzword; it represents a fundamental shift in the way businesses and organizations operate, communicate and serve their customers.”
It doesn’t end here, though.
Grace says there’s still so much work to do. “We aim to provide services for SMEs so that they can grow and compete. We are also providing services for the lower income segment with our prepaid fiber product, Surf2Sawa,” she adds.
When Grace looks back on her and Converge’s success story, she is filled with gratitude and grace, and this is what gives her strength and inspiration to look ahead.
This, indeed, is Maria Grace Uy. And so much more. In a nutshell, one might say she is no doubt quite an amazing Grace.
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Today’s column is a shorter version of a profile I wrote on Maria Grace Uy for PeopleAsia. She is among the magazine’s “Women of Style and Substance” 2023 awardees, alongside other stars from different fields and industries.
At the awarding ceremony held last Oct. 10 at the glittering ballroom of Fairmont in Makati, I had the pleasure of personally congratulating Grace, elegant in a vividly blue evening gown and accompanied by her daughter and supportive husband, Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Uy – not to be mistaken for his namesake from Davao. Dennis Uy, the husband, confessed that he was supposed to be in a meeting that night but had to beg off, to be with Grace. Otherwise, he jested, he would never hear the end of it. Turning serious, the proud husband said he couldn’t be more proud.
I also had the pleasure of personally congratulating the brilliant, indefatigable and always fashionable US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson who, that night, rocked in a burgundy gown.
Media Quest Inc. president and CEO Jane Jimenez-Basas is also an awardee, together with Aboitiz Group’s chief reputation and sustainability officer Ginggay Hontiveros Malvar, ‘Megastar’ Sharon Cuneta, Filipina actress Dolly De Leon and many more.
Congratulations to PeopleAsia for recognizing women who blaze trails and show us the way.
Most of all, cheers to these amazing women who keep changing the world – one move, one act, one megabit at a time – whether in their red lipstick and stilettos, or otherwise.
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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen (Iris Gonzales) on Facebook.