
Entrepreneurial Business Developer, Management Thinker [michael.calma@gmail.com]
Philippines

Entrepreneurial Business Developer, Management Thinker [michael.calma@gmail.com]
Philippines
Mike Calma’s passion is on providing leadership and managerial expertise in establishing and growing new technology-based businesses.
Mike recently joined NEC Philippines as Business Support Development Manager. His mission is to enter new markets and innovate on new revenue generators.
He has 6 action-packed years of business experience and has been instrumental in several tech start-ups. Prior to joining NEC, he has worked as Business Development Manager for GeoSpatial Solutions, Inc. (pioneered Offshore Outsourcing Practice), General Manager for LinkSphere IT Solutions (Self-financed/first failed IT start-up) and Business Development Manager for General Instrument Corporation (Family-financed Engineering Consulting start-up).
He has an MBA from the University of the Philippines, Diliman (2008) as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (2003). He is a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi (www.upsilon.com ) and the UPLB Computer Science Society (www.uplbcoss.org ).
He blogs (www.mikecalma.com) to share some of his lucid (sometimes myopic) moments. He is starting work on his first book with the working title of: "Entrepreneurial Agitation: Starting Trouble to Create Value".
Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Planning, Outsourcing, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, Product Development, Information Technology
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; NIPNY; Information Technology and Services industry)
May 2008 — Present (4 months)
A new and exciting challenge awaits! My mission: enter new markets and innovate on new revenue generators.
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)
January 2007 — May 2008 (1 year 5 months)
My relationship with GSI started around August 2006 as an MBA student wanting to investigate the inner workings of a 10 year old, 100% Filipino-owned and operated IT/GIS company. I needed a company for my innovation management paper and GSI was a good fit. The reason I chose GSI was because I felt that it had a lot of latent potential for growth that needs to be discovered and capitalized on. In the course of my research, I found out that my gut-feel was correct. I was intrigued enough to join the company to help formulate and implement its corporate strategy.
Key Results:
• Facilitated the company’s strategic planning and implementation
• Pioneered IT Offshore Outsourcing business
• Created and managed several strategic alliances
• Key proponent in the creation of an in-house R&D lab
• Taught internal courses on innovation, strategy and marketing
• Currently involved in the advance stages closing a multi-million peso investment
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)
May 2004 — December 2006 (2 years 8 months)
LinkSphere came about when I was starting to earn well from freelance IT work. My first break came when I closed a US project worth $55k. This was a serious amount for a then 23 year old fresh grad and his team of geeks. We used the earnings to beef-up our education. However, our inexperience caught up with us. The company folded up late 2006. While it was a very disappointing time for me, I believe that this is one of my best learning experiences.
Key Results:
• Secured Key Offshore Accounts on the first 4 months of operations.
• Headed a crisis management team to resolve client emergencies
• Bootstraped Standardization and Documentation of Business Methods and Processes for specialized service lines (Systems Migration and Network Security) based on Best Practices to enhance competitiveness
• Dissolved the corporation in good terms with each partner better educated and each getting a fair amount of cash. I buried my dead company well! :)
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Oil & Energy industry)
October 2002 — May 2004 (1 year 8 months)
This is a venture I stared with my Dad when I was an undergrad. My Dad at that time quit his stable job to scratch his entrepreneurial itch. GIC is primarily an engineering consultancy firm. It has distinguished itself by solving the toughest problems in rotating machinery and back-up power. GIC primarily caters to power plants. My Dad is the principal consultant and I was business manager, salesman and all around assistant. When the business stabilized and was already profitable, I realized that I too needed to scratch my entrepreneurial itch with my own company.
Key Results:
• Acquired and managed key semiconductor Industry accounts
• Managed Project teams for Power Industry accounts
• Developed sales and marketing materials on battery monitoring technologies for mission critical applications.
• Participated in on-site battery testing activities and authored reports and recommendations
• Performed market research and prospective client correspondence
MBA, Strategy, Marketing and Innovation, 2005 — 2008
GPA of 1.46 [or 92%]
BS in Computer Science, Computer Science, 1997 — 2003
President, UPLB Computer Science Society 2001-2002
High School, 1993 — 1997
Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Planning, Outsourcing, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, Product Development, Information Technology
Upsilon Sigma Phi, UPLB Computer Science Society, Philippine Computer Society, Philippine Software Industry Association, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Brain Gain Network, LinkedIn Q&A
• Speaker: UP Los Banos, Institute of Computer Science Career Orientation Seminar
• Speaker: Value Innovations in eGovernance, 2007 eGovernance Innovations
• Alumni Speaker, 2005 UPLB Institute of Computer Science Testimonials
• Resource Speaker, 2001 UPLB College of Arts and Sciences Anniversary Forum on the Relevance of Academic Organizations in the Campus
• 4th Place 1999 Philippine Webby People’s Choice Awards under the Children/Education Category for the Needhelp’99 website (http://welcome.to/needhelp99)
• Nominee 1999 Philippine Webby Awards under the Business Category for the D.M. Calma Properties & Engineering Site (http://welcome.to/dmcalma)