Learn How the Nelnet Philippines Team Excels at Collaboration
Many people associate Nelnet only with Lincoln, Neb., but that’s far from the truth. In fact, 7,900 miles away, there are more than 80 associates who make up Nelnet Philippines, Inc.
Led by Director Tom Huber and Manila-based Managing Director Manuel Magadia, Nelnet Philippines, Inc. (NPI) has supported multiple IT development teams across all of Nelnet Business Services (NBS) and Nelnet since 2022. NPI associates have development skills in the programming languages of our NBS technologies.
How This Remote Team Connects Effectively
NPI is largely a remote-work organization, with 65% of the team’s associates located outside of metro Manila. Because of this, the NPI team has mastered ways to work effectively as a remote unit, but they make the most of in-person opportunities as well.
NPI hosted a spring 2023 Quality Assurance (QA) Summit and team-building session in Manila, gathering NPI associates from across the Philippines and Malaysia and bringing in several NBS QA associates from the U.S.
The summit helped NPI teams learn more about Nelnet products, current processes, and tools as part of our initiative for a Testing Center of Excellence. U.S. attendees got to know NPI associates so they could share what they learned about team members and their skill sets. An obvious benefit was enhancing employee engagement and collaboration to help build strong teams working toward a common goal. The team wrapped up the summit with a friendly darts tournament.
Later in fall 2023, NBS CEO Tim Tewes traveled to Manila for the NPI annual conference, which was attended by nearly all the team’s 80-plus associates. While the conference provided updates, project highlights, success, and future direction, a good portion of the conference was dedicated to helping associates understand the impact of NPI.
One Team United by Core Values
Tewes stressed the importance of building stronger relationships across our teams, staying connected, and living our Nelnet core values that help us live an authentic life. As he observed the team, he noted, “The teamwork, bonding, and interactions don’t look like a group that is working remotely. Your level of energy and enthusiasm is amazing.”
The team has found ways to connect and engage with each other in productive ways. Huber summed it up: “We are all one big team. We are all Nelnet. This is the year we evolve, continue our growth, and provide exceptional value for the U.S. teams.”
We’re excited to see the contributions from our NPI associates.
