Filipino lands top P&G global post
If a door is open to you, you go through it—confidently.”
Such encouraging words, uttered by Fama Francisco, perfectly describe her approach toward her career—which is most likely why she was able to land the prestigious position she now holds: global president of Procter & Gamble’s feminine care business.
“My belief is if a job is worth doing, you have to do that job better than anyone who’s done it before. And I think if you can do that, then opportunities will always open up,” she says.
In fact, Francisco is the first woman and the first Asian to hold that title, after working for the company for 27 years, or since she graduated from the University of the Philippines where she took up Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing.
It’s a post she never even dreamt of holding, she says, especially since she initially failed her first interview with P&G.
“I applied in the marketing function, and I actually failed my first interview,” she says. “But I persisted. That’s the most important part—I persisted, so I ended up becoming the first female sales manager hired in P&G Philippines after almost 50 years of operations, which was a great way to join the company.”
Francisco says she was the lone female in a group of 100 in the sales team, wherein she had to learn a variety of skills, as the job then was “physically demanding.”
“Between you and me, I didn’t know how to parallel park!” she says, chuckling. “And very quickly I had to be an expert with the customers I was covering. I asked a lot of my male colleagues to show me the ropes, but I think I also brought in a lot of my expertise as a female, which is understanding the consumer and the shopper even better. All in all, my early years in sales were, I think, the most fruitful.”
From working in sales, Francisco moved to the company’s marketing function after four years.
It was there that her career continued to grow, one that would take her to Japan where she managed the Pampers and Whisper brands, and then eventually to the United States, where she initially oversaw global operations of P&G’s baby care category, and then the company’s North America operations, before finally landing the position she has now.
Just as Francisco’s professional life blossomed in P&G, so did her family.
The mother of four—three boys and one girl—actually met her husband, Noel, when they were both starting out as part of the sales team in the Philippines.
“He was one of the men. It was very awkward,” she says with a laugh. “When we were working together in the same function, it was awkward, but eventually we moved to different functions.”
Francisco describes their marriage as a “tag team” relationship, a dynamic she believes is instrumental to her success professionally, as they see each other as partners and equals when it comes to taking care of their family.
“My husband and I both have great careers in P&G. I have to admit, it’s not easy when you’re in a country without extended family, without any household help,” she says. “We had to really rely on the two of us. You just have to give and take every day.”
A supportive family, combined with her persistence and a little bit of luck—it seems such is the Fama Francisco formula for professional success. It’s the persistence bit which she takes most pride in, as it was, essentially, what really got her into P&G in the first place.
“Sometimes—and I think a lot of women can identify [themselves in this situation]—there’s a already a door open to you, and you hesitate. Or sometimes, you think you’re not good enough; that, oh, these are all the experiences I don’t have,” she says. “If a door is not opened to you, like when I failed my first exam in P&G, then find a way to open the door. There is a way to open it if you are persistent and you deliver the results that stand out.”
