A Flavorful Experience with Product Enablers at UnionBank’s ‘The Product Kitchen’
Marjorie Del Rosario-Patterson
On November 22, 2024, UnionBank University hosted the first Product Kitchen Workshop where the bank’s product-enabling units engaged in a unique full-course menu dining experience, carefully designed to illustrate the stages of the Product Development and Management Framework.
Embracing the spirit of Ubuntu, over 40 dedicated participants from Compliance, Controls and Governance, Risk, Finance, Marketing, TSSG, ITSG, and HR gathered on the 47th floor of UnionBank Plaza. Together, they engaged in a dynamic morning of brainstorming, tackling the challenge of redefining how we develop products and services for both external customers and our valued internal clients.
The kitchen opened early at 8am, and while participants enjoyed their breakfast, HR Shared Services and Lead HR Business Partner Gladys Ocampo engaged everyone by discussing the key ingredient for making the event a success: the value of empathy. This quality will empower attendees to embrace the role of a Product Owner.
To kick-off the workshop and give an overview of the planned activities, Chief Human Resource Officer Michelle Rubio inspired the team with her opening remarks. She emphasized how the supporting units contribute to the development of products and services that ultimately delight our customers. “In today’s competitive and dynamic marketplace, it is crucial to integrate reliability and quality into the process design so that product teams can develop products speedily,” she stressed.
Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Albert Cuadrante also delivered a brief address, highlighting the shared purpose of every UnionBanker, regardless of their role in policy, process, or governance: to improve people’s lives. He stated, “Externally, I want to enhance the way we do banking. Internally, I want to create an environment where people can work together, collaborate, and simplify our processes.”
HR facilitators Marjorie Del Rosario-Patterson and Japhet Luistro guided the participants through using the toolkits for the time-boxed group activity. Each of the three teams designated a presenter to discuss their group’s output, which included a summary of the critical requirements relevant to their assigned framework stages.
Group presenters Kent Mariano from Marketing, Gerand Elinzano from Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management and Aaron John Parcon from Consumer and Segments Marketing.
The workshop offered valuable insights, allowing attendees to collaborate, identify process pain points, and outline critical requirements to help product teams and enablers achieve shared goals.