From boardroom to finish line: A woman’s journey of endurance

FAMILY VACAY Apart from sharing bottles of wine some nights, the Garcias like to travel together. This family groufie was taken during their trip to Australia in June 2023. From left: Henry, Cecille, Hannah and Czerina Garcia.

Cecille Reyes-Garcia talks about her profession the way she talks about running: with an ear-to-ear smile on her face and a visible shine in her eyes.

For the director of operations and location leader at McKinsey Global Services Manila, running is more than just a morning routine. It is beyond pushing through the soft but insistent burn in her muscles as her body wakes up.

These are all secondary to her; running is where Garcia finds solace and clarity when she hits a snag at work.

“Sometimes you get stuck and by just running outside, you get to feel the fresh air; you are able to think things through,” Garcia tells the Inquirer. “I guess the length of time that it allows you to run makes you think of a lot of things.”

Indeed, the mother of two has made some of the most crucial decisions and even drafted business plans while running.

Garcia is not ashamed to admit that even some misunderstandings with her husband, Henry, were resolved during joint running sessions.

“By the end of the run, we’re friends again,” she quips.

HARD-EARNED HOARD Medals from various running events completed here and abroad —Contributed photos.

Discipline and determination

Her discipline and determination in brushing away the cloud of sleep in the morning for 16 years has put Garcia exactly where she is now—in pursuit of her sixth World Marathon Majors medal while entering her 12th year at McKinsey.

Based in New York, McKinsey currently has more than 130 offices across the globe that ensure their clients are matched with the right people, experience and expertise.

Standing tall more than 13,000 kilometers away from its headquarters is the Manila office along Makati Avenue. This is where Garcia manages talent acquisition at their human resources (HR), information technology, finance departments and even up to the service line.

As a new hire in early 2010, Garcia was initially asked to carve out just 30 percent of her time to oversee the entire office.She took on the role without hesitation. Before she knew it, that 30 percent had swelled to 100 percent when she was tasked to oversee the growth of at least 320 colleagues.

Apart from her responsibilities as a mother and wife—and now, marathon runner—she sees to it that her colleagues and the McKinsey clients are supported in various ways, whether in recruitment or professional development.

“As a location, we would host the different service lines that would support the business,” Garcia says.

“When I describe my job, I often say I build talent,” she shares. “That’s truly what you do: You mentor people so you can build them and be the best versions of themselves.”

AT THE TOP OF HER GAME Cecille Reyes-Garcia is responsible for more than 320 people at McKinsey Global Services Manila.

Serendipity

HR was not always the path for her. Quite frankly, Garcia wanted to be a doctor, but this entailed a lot of costs for her family.

It was her cousin who encouraged her to take BS Psychology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Garcia was told that pursuing this particular field could take her to paths that would lead her to either become a doctor like she wanted, or an HR professional in the corporate world—something that was entirely new to her.

As many may already know, she took the second path.

“But I actually did not know what it meant,” she says in jest. “I only realized it meant something when I was already studying psychology.”

Finally understanding HR was quite serendipitous for Garcia. As a young kolehiyala back in the early 90s, she took on part-time work to make both ends meet.

“I didn’t realize that in that entire journey, I was going to find joy. That joy I found is in speaking with people, helping people,” she recalls.

The young professional followed her path of joy, starting out as HR officer for a Japanese technology firm before eventually joining clothing giant Levi Strauss & Co. in 2002 as a learning and development manager for the Asia-Pacific division.

Thus began her 22-year journey that would test her limits as a woman balancing married life with motherhood, and managing people with diverse backgrounds.

Problem solving and training

At Levi Strauss, she had a seven-year stint leading the Philippine HR functions as human resources manager for both the commercial business and manufacturing plant.

Garcia was a natural at problem-solving and training. While some people may be anxious to speak to others and take their time getting to know their peers, these were practically what she loved most about her job.

“When we have the chance to talk [to colleagues], I get to ask a lot of questions. It’s so inspiring when you ask those questions and they get enlightened; they come up with solutions on their own,” she says.

Garcia saw a lot of her colleagues grow from their first daunting days of apprenticeship to becoming team leaders that are now able to confidently speak up and flourish in other countries, whether in Czech Republic or Costa Rica.

The colleagues she had trained even speak with the so-called “Cecille style”: eloquent, professional and always backed by data.

But with the enjoyment of the job also came what was the most challenging week of her career—and one that she vividly remembers.

“I was sweating profusely,” Garcia recounts. She was nine months pregnant with her second daughter, the now 20-year-old Czerina, when she joined the management panel and led negotiations with the employees’ union for the renewal of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

“As a woman leader, there’s the challenge of having to manage multiple jobs that most people are not experiencing, whether or not it’s child rearing,” she says.

Her persistence had allowed both the management and union sides to agree on their new CBA within three days—a record time for the company—and just a few weeks before giving birth to Czerina.

RUNNERS IN PARIS The Garcias finished the Paris Marathon in 2019. They will run in Boston this April, aiming for their sixth World Marathon Majors medal. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

All in the family

Perhaps it was her strong will to understand the employees’ needs while listening to her body that ultimately influenced her daughters.

Both Czerina and 26-year-old Hannah are pursuing careers that are challenging yet fulfilling. Hannah is now in the final months of medical school, while Czerina is in her third year as a political science student in UP to later enter law school.

Their mother’s athletic personality was likewise passed on to them: Czerina was a gymnast as child, while Hannah still swims regularly and enjoys walks with her parents.

And now that both wife and husband are on their way to their sixth world marathon in Boston this April —Garcia’s 13th full marathon overall— she is most grateful for the constant support she has received from her family.

Hannah and Czerina would surprise them on the sidelines of their 42-kilometer race, cheering them on and handing bananas and water to fuel the final stretch.

Beyond supporting each other in physical activities or work, the Garcias also see to it that they have time to unwind as a family.

”Whether a good or bad influence, we drink together,” she says with a laugh. “Either at home or outside, we would have our beers or wines. It’s a good thing they (Hannah and Czerina) are not ashamed to be seen with us.”

Henry, her college sweetheart and constant companion in athletics and in raising their children, has always supported her choices and never barred her from speaking up.

“I particularly liked that he allowed me to flourish on my own .. It’s a coequal household,” Garcia says.

OUT IN THE FIELD Garcia sees running as a way to clear her mind when she hits a snag at work.

Shaping women leaders

As a woman leader who has had her fair share of obstacles in a highly traditional Filipino culture, Garcia wants to ensure that young women learn three crucial things in pursuing their respective careers: build their confidence, speak up and make a difference, and look for mentors who will guide them to success.

These were the same values instilled into her by her mentors when she came across that familiar career bottleneck of not knowing whether to follow her current path or go elsewhere.

“It’s really very important that you have somebody to help you navigate very challenging complexities in this world,” Garcia emphasizes.

And she does not regret choosing the path of HR over her earlier dream of becoming a doctor. After all, Garcia points out, this was where she truly found joy.

“I don’t think I’d do it any other way. HR has been the heart of what I have been doing,” Garcia says.