Premier executive search firm ZMG Ward Howell and other member companies of the ZMG Group marks its 40th year in 2019, and takes on the theme “40 and future-proof,” which conveys a heightened need for human capital readiness in an ever-changing business and labor landscape.
Founded by the late Jesus M. Zulueta in 1979, ZMG Ward Howell began as a management consulting firm, and operated as the Philippine practice of WD Scott, a company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Zulueta then revectored the business, and decided to focus on executive search. Later on, ZMG Asia was incorporated, and served as the precursor to what would later become ZMG Ward Howell. Over the next four decades, ZMG set up offices in many countries across Asia, and partnered with global human capital solutions companies Signium International and Ward Howell International. Currently, ZMG Ward Howell maintains its position as a trusted partner of long-standing local and multinational companies in the Philippines, as well as companies in emerging industries in meeting their human capital requirements.
ZMG Ward Howell’s brand is synonymous with the values that Mr. Zulueta espoused: excellence in service, the constant pursuit of knowledge and learning, and maintaining sticky relationships with clients. The firm is well-reputed among captains of industries, and is tapped for its unique, consultative approach to human capital development. The firm has also earned the trust of its clients, and is sought after for its close access to boardrooms and C-suites, as well as its ability to place next-in-line, top-performing leaders.
“ZMG Ward Howell has been a quiet yet prime partner of enterprises in building the economy of our country,” shares Alex M. Genil, President and CEO of ZMG Ward Howell.“If you look at the leadership and the talents in corporate giants, ZMG has helped identify and place many of them all these years. In the early years of BPO in the Philippines, quite a number of North America-based organizations wanting to set up shop here would call us and seek our help in hiring the core group of their management in the Philippines.”
The ZMG Group also takes pride in highlighting the Filipino talent. “Mr. Zulueta believed that the Filipino professional is globally competitive, and can be at par with the world’s best,” says Jeanette B. Zulueta, Chairman and co-founder of ZMG. “We have been successful in repatriating many Filipino executives from abroad, and this is our way of re-introducing new skills and knowledge back into our workforce,” she adds.
What once started as a small company of less than 30 employees, the ZMG Group has now grown to a headcount of 200, with another 1,500 more staff deployed to client sites. The Group’s current portfolio spans about 500 active client engagements across multiple industries, with an average of 1,500 searches closed per year. Three years after Mr. Zulueta’s passing, the companies under the ZMG umbrella continue on with his legacy by driving growth for their clients’ wide range of human capital requirements. The other companies that form the ZMG Group today include Asia Select, Inc., delivering executive and contingency search, recruitment process outsourcing, HR consultancy, and Learning & Development services. Asia People Search covers mid-level and volume hiring, while Asia People Works provides outsourced manpower services. Across Southeast Asia, ZMG has a presence in Indonesia and Myanmar. Wynn Ward Howell Myanmar provides Learning & Development Services, while Asia Select Indonesia handles executive and mid-level searches.
