John Baluyot
CEO and Co-founder of Positive WorkplacesHaving worked for the service sector for two decades, John has seen how big an impact the sector has on the lives of many Filipinos. Since service is powered by capability and fueled by the human spirit, John has made an advocacy out of capability development and positive leadership. He spent most of his corporate life in a multinational setting in areas of human resources, strategic planning and business & product development.
Outside his corporate career, he was elected as the national president of the Philippine Society for Talent Development in 2020 where, despite the pandemic, he jump-started the capability development digital transformation of what used to be a very traditional organization. As an Australia Awards scholar, he graduated with distinction in Monash University, Australia with a degree in Master of Leadership specializing in Organizational Learning. His return project was a leadership program that has been training thousands of government leaders through the Civil Service Institute of the Civil Service Commission.
Currently, John stands as the CEO of Positive Workplaces— leading them to be awarded as the 2023 Outsourced Learning and Development Organization of the Year by the Philippine Society for Talent Development.
He is a strategic planning and organizational culture coach for some of the country’s fastest growing service organizations, and a mentor to promising young leaders in the PW community. He is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and the co-founder of the Strengths-based Webcast, Strengths at Work
Gabe Mercado
President at Third World ImprovGabe Mercado is a seasoned consultant, facilitator, and performer with over 20 years of experience applying the principles of improvisation to diverse fields, including organizational development, stage, and screen. He is the founder of SPIT Manila and a co-founder of Third World Improv, where he also served on the board of directors. His expertise lies in translating the core principles of improvisational theater into practical tools for individuals and organizations seeking to improve persuasive storytelling, communication skills, agility, change management proficiency, and problem-solving capabilities. Gabe currently serves as a Senior Consultant with Koppett, a global consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational development, and as the Executive Director of Vivita Philippines, an organization focused on fostering youth creativity and innovation. His extensive experience in both performance and organizational consulting allows him to deliver unique and highly effective training and development programs.