About Paul John M. Peña

I started working young, splitting my days between university lectures and newsroom deadlines. At 20, I was already managing teams. By 23, I was working in a foreign market, helping build what would become Vietnam’s largest online platform. Since then, my career has moved across industries, borders, and disciplines, guided by a steady throughline: helping people and organizations make better decisions through strategy, insight, and storytelling.

Today, I lead the Insights and Analytics Hub for Colgate-Palmolive APAC. In this role, I oversee enterprise analytics and consumer insight capabilities in the Philippines, working with global, regional, and local leadership teams to translate data into decisions, and strategy into measurable growth. The work sits at the intersection of human-centric insights, business intelligence, commercial planning, data and advanced analytics, and organizational alignment, with a strong emphasis on building systems that scale and value that create commercial impact.

Immediately prior to this, I led Strategy Consulting and Enterprise Analytics at McDonald’s Philippines. There, I worked closely with the Managing Director and leadership team to align enterprise plans, shape long-term direction, and translate strategy into execution at scale. Earlier roles in digital, brand, and communications at Globe Telecom, Leo Burnett, and the Philippine Senate sharpened my instinct for working at the seam between vision and delivery, systems and people.

Alongside industry work, I’ve published policy research on inclusive growth, digital innovation, and human capital development. I’ve also spent time in the classroom, teaching philosophy, economics, and corporate planning. Teaching keeps me honest. I learn as much from students as I hope they take from me.

What I value most is thoughtful work. Not work that simply moves fast, but work that moves with intention. I care about frameworks, but I care more about how they land. Whether I’m building a roadmap, shaping a narrative, or facilitating strategic alignment, I try to bring clarity, generosity, and integrity to the table.

I still say yes to projects without a playbook. I still believe in the power of good thinking and quiet leadership. And I still believe the best strategy is built with people, not just for them.