4 APAC / Businesswomen Awards 2017 , showed that PRIMEX contracts have reached an all-time high of US$24 million, comprising nearly half of the total contracts awarded by ADB to Philippine firms from 2012-2016. “It is an enormous feat for PRIMEX to have bested hundreds of Philippine ADB- registered consulting firms, including companies registered in the Philippines by the large, multinational engineering consulting companies, such as those from Australia, Germany, France, and other First World countries. It is the consistent high quality of our work and the active engagement of our top management in all our projects, which set us apart from our competitors. Also, being a ‘boutique consulting firm,’ we are not burdened by a large organizational bureaucracy, and we are, therefore, highly flexible and able to make quick decisions. We are also highly responsive to our clients’ needs, working beyond our terms of reference, if necessary, to ensure full client satisfaction. And most importantly, all of us at PRIMEX are driven by a commitment to quality and excellence,” said Ablaza. Aside from ADB, PRIMEX has also been implementing projects for other multilateral and bilateral agencies, such as the World Bank, USAID, JICA, EU, and Few women in the Philippine consulting industry can match what Ablaza has achieved for PRIMEX. In August 1989, she founded the company in Manila, with its first office at the garage of her ancestral home. She had a bold vision that a small, all- Filipino company could be No. 1, not only in the Philippines, but in the Pacific Rim. “I had complete faith that PRIMEX would someday emerge as a leading Philippine consulting firm. I have always been competitive, highly driven, and passionate in everything I do. I knew that I would be able to achieve my goal of making my company known for its work – both at home and overseas. Being a woman in a highly- demanding profession did not faze me at all. I had a dream, and I was willing to give my all to make that dream a reality,” said Ablaza. As President and CEO of PRIMEX, she has steered the company to become the No. 1 Philippines-registered consulting firm doing business with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This ranking is based on the value of ADB technical assistance and loan-funded contracts signed with ADB over a five-year period. ADB’s 2017 Philippines Fact Sheet ABW17001 Most Influential Woman in Management Consulting - Philippines Pacific Rim Innovation andManagement Exponents, Inc. (PRIMEX) is a leading Philippine management consulting firmwith a reputation of quality and excellence built through 28 years of consistently outstanding performance in development projects in the region. We spoke to Elvira Ablaza, PRIMEX President and CEO, to gain a fascinating insight into the firm and the secret of its success. UN agencies. It has also been supporting various government offices in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia. “Some people are surprised when I tell them that we have worked in 33 countries in Asia and the Pacific. We have also completed more than 300 assignments to date. We have reached this far because we are eager to collaborate with local and international partners, and we continue to look for new areas of growth,” she said. From its initial focus on agriculture/irrigation, fisheries, natural resources, and environment, PRIMEX has expanded into health, education, and infrastructure development. Since 2012, education and infrastructure development have emerged as the company’s most important sectors. At present, PRIMEX projects in these two sectors comprise about 75% of the company’s portfolio. “I take pride in having built a company that has set high standards of quality for other consulting firms to follow. I am also pleased that I have gained the respect of my peers (mostly male) in the global consulting industry. A foreign guest recently told me that the PRIMEX story is so inspiring, it must be shared, especially with the young, so they will dream big and work with love and passion. My prayer is that PRIMEX, which has been my life, will continue to live on long into the future” said Ablaza. Contact: Elvira C. Ablaza Contact Email:
[email protected] Address: 502 Manila Luxury Condominium, 30 Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines 1600 Phone: +632 633 9052 Website: www.beta.primexinc.org/