Driven by a Deep Commitment to Transformation

Meet Acumen Strategy Consultants' influential President and CEO, Pauline Fermin.??

Pauline Fermin has been at the helm of the company for more than 15 years. She was instrumental in guiding and building Acumen from being an inactive, boutique consultancy and training firm to what it is today, a leading strategy advisory firm in the Philippines, by growing its revenue twenty-fold.?

What launched her consulting career was a mix of personal and professional reasons.? She was an expatriate for Beverage Partners Worldwide, the JV of Coca-Cola and Nestle when she had her 5th child.? It was difficult, life-threatening childbirth for her, which made her re-assess her life choices.? She and her husband Jingo decided to pack up their bags and come home to Manila.? Shortly after that, Acumen’s founder and then Managing Director Albert Cuadrante invited her to be part of the company’s roster of Senior Affiliate Consultants. What Acumen offered - helping solve a variety of business challenges and contributing to the upliftment of capabilities of young leaders - was what Pauline was looking for in her next-stage career.? It was such a positive experience that Pauline welcomed the opportunity to lead the company 4 years after joining as an Affiliate.?

She brought with her 20 years of corporate experience, a wealth of knowledge and insights into all the engagements with clients.? However, building a start-up consulting firm presented a new set of challenges – what works in big, highly established companies do not necessarily apply to entrepreneurial ventures. The learnings and insights from growing Acumen as well as the engagements with clients of various sizes and shapes - from Top 100 Philippine corporations, conglomerates, large local companies, and family-owned companies – rounded out her base of business, strategy, and organizational acumen.? Thus, many of the clients whom Pauline worked very closely with appreciate her value and significant impact on their transformation.??

In her role as President and CEO of Acumen, she leads a strong leadership team who collectively drives the firm's vision and strategy and ensures that the clients receive consulting services of the highest quality. Pauline loves the challenges of leading a diverse team of professionals (consisting of consultants, client directors, affiliates, and full-time employees) and making things happen.??

She is an inspiring leader who believes in the power of values and behaving day-to-day consistent with them; she advocates and ensures that holistic wellness is achieved for everyone on the team.?

It's difficult to be a successful female leader and maintain a healthy personal life at the same time. But that's exactly what Pauline does. She successfully balances the demands of leading Acumen while being a dedicated wife to Jingo and mother to five beautiful children, as well as being a Strengths Coach, volunteer school parent coordinator, and parenting speaker. She is a firm advocate and model of wellness through proper nutrition, yoga, mindfulness habits, working out in the gym, and doing cardio exercises. She sets a great example for her family and others, for she is someone who walks the talk.??

Thanks to her hard work and dedication, Acumen has become one of the most respected and successful strategy advisory firms in the country. With all her contributions in the corporate world, Pauline has become a role model for young women everywhere who want to achieve success in their own lives.?

Acumen wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for you, Pauline!??