“I always passed by Southville back when I was in high school. I have to admit that the achievements posted were very impressive so I became curious about how competitive the school was.”

Southville Alumna, Camille Matias, had her life changed by simply taking a route to high school each day where she would pass by the campuses of Southville. With that one simple decision to join Southville, her life has become so much more – a transformation that allowed her to reach the pinnacle of opportunities overseas. Camille took the BS Entrepreneurship program having known Southville as the leading business school, south of Metro Manila. As a typical college student, Camille spent her years at Southville and enjoyed both academic and extracurricular activities which contributed to her professional development and outlook in the field she has chosen. 

Camille had her first job at a financial services company, ING Group, headquartered in Amsterdam as a Junior Processor responsible for profiling ING’s clients – international companies and institutions. She cited the global experience of Southville as one of the main factors that led her to pursue international industry opportunities when she was first looking for graduate employment. With a primary goal to work abroad, Camille further shared a story behind joining ING. “I grew up in typical strict Filipino parents where I would feel boxed in by rules, yet those rules are what I am made of now. But I’ve always wanted to become independent and see how far I could go. I knew that learning global practices from a company like ING, I would be able to develop self-confidence and openness to a bigger world I haven’t seen.” 

It was in 2016 when Camille officially joined ING Philippines. As a newbie, all she wanted was to be of help to the company with all the knowledge she had fresh from her college life. Surrounded by colleagues of her age, she considers herself lucky to have felt instantly at ease at her first job, content and driven. But the course of her professional path changed sooner than she expected in 2018, when Camille was appointed to represent ING Philippines in New York City – a make or break opportunity that exceeded her expectations and cemented her success. As international business affiliations require topnotch skills and a promising personality adaptable to any country,  befitting a company forging global partnerships, ING placed their trust in Camille. She was astounded…“It was something I didn’t apply for, I was handpicked for the assignment so I definitely felt the pressure to do well. I knew I had to have grit and confidence in my abilities or else I’ll only be intimidated and won’t catch up with my more experienced colleagues.”

In New York City, Camille was tasked to bridge communication gaps between ING’s international branches and troubleshoot financial complications of the western companies they manage. In a span of just six months, Camille felt that she personally and professionally grew overnight. As a business degree holder, New York City inundated her with everything she could grasp about the stock market, investment practices, and financial literacy in the west. Moreover, Camille’s dream of living an independent life finally came true. “With the way people live in New York, I could say that I have finally come out of my comfort zone. There, I have expanded my professional network and the entirety of my experience made me realize that I can really cross borders and live a life larger than I used to have.” Camille’s career went through a rapid change when she came back to the Philippines and had to shift from attending to the needs of asian to western clients. It was a short stay, yet a continuing affirmation of her performance from overseas back home. Just when Camille came back from NYC, another opportunity stunned her and this time, it’s bigger and bolder. In July 2020, she officially transitioned to her new role in ING Australia as a KYC Lead. Currently, Camille is working from home and is soon to leave for a “permanent relocation”. 

As a teacher, it is truly heartwarming to see young individuals like Camille transform from that shy teenager sitting in my classroom to become the accomplished individual that she is today… able to meet the challenges of a dynamic and competitive world. Like many students, Camille’s development did not start with a bang. It grew slowly, inch by inch, like a plant springing from a humble seed. Watered and nourished by Southville’s unique brand of education and its core values of Competence, Character, Collaboration,  Commitment to Achieve, and Creativity, Camille soon developed into a strong and committed young woman. I am truly grateful and honored to have contributed a small part in her success. I am sure Camille’s star will grow and she will forever be a legacy to our efforts here in the classrooms and halls of Southville.  Good Luck Camille.

Dr. Victor Manabat
Southville College of Business, Dean

She collaborated intently with various stakeholders, namely: FM traders, CDU Americas, Legal, Compliance and FMCC in AMS to assess and measure the gap in the onboarding process. She is instrumental in creating a structured monitoring system to measure every step of the onboarding process that shortens the onboarding timeline from the standard 30-90 days to only less than 30 days. The new process has been a warm welcome by the FM Business and they applauded on how efficient and seamless the onboarding process can be.  This resulted in a paradigm shift in the client’s experience to doing business with ING. We continue to connect on a professional and personal level at this time since she made a lasting impression on our team. Also, as a Filipino it brings pride and joy that we are represented globally and that we should continue to support each other to grow and thrive.

Emma Lofradez
ING, New York

“I wanted to be part of the thriving business industry which is why I chose BS Entrepreneurship as my course. I knew I needed to choose a school that would equip me with the right knowledge and mindset to become successful in my chosen field. Southville helped me build a strong foundation for myself and also provided me with the right tools to go into the corporate world. I would like to believe that I’ve achieved Southville’s vision for its students to be globally competitive. Through it all, I always went back to the values that Southville equipped me with. I learned by example, since I was always surrounded by experienced and knowledgeable educators who are ready to extend help to us students. With this, I am grateful for Southville’s excellent learning programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and it’s very passionate faculty members who developed me to become a well-rounded individual.”

Ana Francesca Camille Matias, Batch 2016 BS Entrepreneurship
WB KYC Lead, ING Australia