Angela Ann Vera: Leading by adding value to others

‘Success is when I add value to myself. Significance is when I add value to others.’

-John Maxwell

With Lasallians in her family, it is no surprise that Angela Ann “Anj” Vera would choose DLSU for her preferred course in college – psychology.  “La Salle is a household name for our family since my dad graduated from DLSU and my brother was also from LSGH.  DLSU offered the course that I wanted and also provided a comprehensive overview of how I would be able to complete the course in three years” Anj shared. 

She had an active college life spent organizing activities for the College of LIberal Arts, as VP for Academics, and in preparing for campaigns in the student political party, Santugon, where she served as the Secretary General.  “I learned how to work with all kinds of people and understood why different perspectives were important if you wanted to come up with the best ideas and plans,” she recalled.

She also learned to balance academics alongside extra curricular activities, allowing herself to push the limits of what she could do.  In her last year in college, she received the Jose Rizal Academic Award for Excellence for being a consecutive dean’s lister. 

Summer immersion programs gave Anj her one-for-the-books experience–staying in one of the homes of an indigenous community, climbing Mt. Maculot in Batangas, sleeping in a campsite beside a waterfall in Bataan, and visiting a turtle and mangrove sanctuary, among others. “These trips influenced me to appreciate the value of diversity and environment conservation.  I gained a lot of new friends and discovered a few things about myself, too,” Anj added.  Outside of work, traveling and diving to different marine sanctuaries in the country became her main interests. 

She pursued her graduate studies in 2011 to further her understanding of business and to help her in the HR profession.  “I decided to pursue an MBA at DLSU because of the multi-campus options it offered.  I would often attend client meetings across the central business districts in Metro Manila and would attend selected subjects in Ortigas, Makati, Taft, and Greenhills, at that time. This allowed me to complete my studies after work, from 6pm-9pm, thrice a week at locations convenient to me,” she added.

All these experiences became Anj’s solid ground when she founded TalentView in 2013 with the vision of elevating human capital standards in the ASEAN region.  “It was tough at first because the concept of employer branding was new back then. It was difficult to convince companies that they needed to deliver a more authentic message to their talent market because they probably thought everyone was looking for a job anyway.  It was also challenging because I was a young leader in an environment where seniority mattered, where you would be judged not simply on your own merit but on how credible you appeared,” she said.

With all the risks and uncertainties, Anj’s personal belief to help organizations become more strategic with an effective people strategy pushed her further.  “If organizations can connect with their potential and existing employees in an authentic way through channels that resonated across the talent landscape, it would be a win-win situation for both parties. Companies would find people who share the same values that matter to them and employees would be fulfilled in their roles and contribute so much more than what was expected of them.” 

“My thinking was if I can help HR leaders create a better work environment for their people, not only would they have happier employees, TalentView would also be helping the country build a more fulfilled and productive workforce.”  

“Albert Einstein said, Try not to become a person of success. Rather become a person of value.”  La Salle has helped me bring this mindset to life with all the experiences I’ve had within its four walls. I’ve seen so much generosity from my professors to share their knowledge, to add value and to instill in us an attitude of lifelong learning to the point that it is now second nature to do the same for others, too. La Salle has taught me to lead with values and to lead by adding value to others.”

Anj also uses her voice for causes close to her heart such as valuing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, creating authentic employer brands, and advocating for women in leadership. She has served as guest speaker in major news networks, as a contributor to Inc. Magazine, as a published author of the book ‘Rethink Recruitment’, and as a Udemy course instructor. Her course on How to become a World-Class Employer Branding Professional has been taken by students from over 30 countries and is now the highest-rated course in the field.

“Nobody achieves anything of significance by themselves. It is always with the help and support of others; and in starting an organization, that means that you will have to lead teams upon teams.”  From 3 team members in 2013, TalentView now has nearly 50 team members across three locations – Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam – and is serving more than 200 customers.

As TalentView’s CEO, “there is great joy and fulfillment in seeing our vision come to life in the ASEAN region. I truly believe we still have a long way to go and I am inspired by the leaders I work with, the ever-evolving business landscape, and the people whose lives and careers we have touched.”