Long before she formally launched her consulting practice, this management consultant was already doing the work of one.
Jeffri-Ann Francesca Santiago, Certified Management Consultant (CMC®) formally established her consulting practice in 2023, but her consulting journey began years earlier—at a time when she did not yet carry the title, but already carried the responsibility.
“Although I formally launched my consulting practice in 2023, my consulting journey began much earlier—when I assumed my first HR leadership role at 28,” she shared. In her view, the distinction between HR leadership and consulting is often artificial. “HR professionals inherently operate as consultants: we advise executives, influence strategy, and shape key organizational decisions long before formally carrying the title.”
Over two decades, Santiago built deep expertise across IT, BPO, Retail, HR Services, and Professional Services. Each sector presented different pressures—speed, scale, regulation, customer experience—but the constant thread was people.
“With two decades of experience across IT, BPO, Retail, HR Services, and Professional Services, I developed a strong foundation in solving complex people challenges, aligning structure with strategy, and strengthening leadership capabilities at scale,” she explained.
Early in her career, she became part of the pioneer team in headhunting and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)—an experience that sharpened her understanding of talent as a strategic lever. “This role taught me agility, client partnership, and the critical connection between talent and business strategy,” she said.
Later, she led organizations through three major organizational transformations, experiences that tested leadership resilience under pressure. “I later led teams through three major organizational transformations, which solidified my ability to guide leaders through uncertainty while protecting culture and trust.”
A defining milestone came when she was appointed the first Country Manager of a Singapore-based HR Solutions company. Tasked with building Philippine operations from the ground up, she moved beyond advisory roles into full operational ownership. “That experience strengthened my entrepreneurial mindset and operational discipline—both essential in consulting,” she noted.
All these experiences eventually converged into Strategence Consulting, her people-centric management consulting practice. Its mission reflects her core belief: that sustainable performance comes from alignment between strategy, structure, leadership, and employee experience.
“I do not believe in one-size-fits-all solutions,” Santiago emphasized. “I believe in co-creating strategies that reflect an organization’s identity, ambitions, and operating realities.”
Her consulting approach is anchored in three principles shaped by industry exposure: data-driven diagnosis, human-centered design, and practical implementation. This balance allows her to move fluidly between boardroom strategy and ground-level execution.
She sees the consulting industry itself evolving in this direction. “Clients no longer look for advice alone—they expect consultants who can help them design the plan, strengthen leadership alignment, and build the internal capability needed to sustain outcomes long after the engagement ends,” she explained.
In the Philippine context, she sees opportunity in specialization and collaboration. “Consulting is becoming more specialized and collaborative, with boutique firms and independent practitioners gaining traction for their agility and depth.”
What ultimately distinguishes effective consultants, in her view, is not brilliance alone. “Successful consultants combine business acumen, empathy, clarity under pressure, and consistent follow-through,” she said. “Ultimately, success is not about delivering recommendations—it is about creating sustained, measurable impact.”
For Santiago, consulting is not a pivot—it is the natural evolution of a career spent translating strategy into human systems that work.
