Building (and leading) with heart from the Philippines

Our Centers of Excellence (COE’s) in the Philippines are the heart of customer support, operating 24/7 providing support across Uber’s global business. To ensure our team can build with heart, our local Site Leaders, Ricco Gamboa and Sarah Sudario, are driving a culture that prioritizes authenticity, wellness, and collaboration. Below, we chat with them about what it’s like to work at Uber in the Philippines and how they’re working to support our employees everyday.

“I’m originally from the United States but have had the opportunity to call the beautiful Philippines home for 11 years now. My journey at Uber began with launching our Clark COE–where I still work today and I’m proud to say that I’ve been here from the very beginning. Over time, my role has grown and I’m now the functional lead for APAC, providing support to markets spanning the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It’s been an amazing ride, and I’m genuinely grateful for every step.”

“I joined Uber because I believed in the incredible potential of the company and its brand. What keeps me here is our continuous evolution beyond transportation, making lives easier for consumers and earners. It’s rewarding to impact millions of lives in positive ways.

I also love having the opportunity to shape and nurture the potential leaders of tomorrow. Witnessing their growth and celebrating their achievements truly resonates deeply with me. It’s these moments that I find the most rewarding and fulfilling.”

“At Uber Philippines, our culture is one where your background, education, or connections don’t determine your worth. It’s all about what you contribute. This open atmosphere encourages diverse collaborations that deliver exceptional support. Drawing from various backgrounds and experiences–both within the industry and as consumers or earners–influences how we assist in Uber’s various markets.”

“That would have to be the wellbeing reimbursement program. It was a novel experience for me to have the opportunity to be reimbursed for activities that contribute to my physical and mental wellbeing, like fitness classes and exercise equipment. This unique offering stood out to me when I joined, but even more so since the pandemic, when it evolved to become even more comprehensive. Uber’s recognition of the value of supporting our wellbeing makes me really proud to work here.

Flexibility has been a game changer for me too. With two young daughters, aged seven and nine, having the option to work from home allows me to prioritize their school events and extracurricular activities without hesitation. The best part is that everyone supports and understands these priorities without any judgment, making the flexibility truly invaluable.”

“Ensuring my team embraces the benefits we offer is a top priority for me. I encourage them to take time off and remind them about the wellbeing reimbursements. I nudge them to prioritize these benefits because they allow them to recharge and focus on themselves and their loved ones. I make it a point to check in with my team to ensure they’re utilizing these benefits to the fullest. Their wellbeing matters deeply to me.”

“I’m the Manila COE Site Leader (some call me the Mom of the Manila office LOL), and I have functional responsibility for the COE Enablement Teams across APAC Community Operations. I also serve as the Philippines Lead for Women At Uber, and APAC Co-Lead for Able At Uber, two of our Employee Resource Groups. I am 18 months into my Uber journey, and what a fast-paced ride it’s been! Outside of work, I am a mom of 2 kids (under 5) and I am an avid hobbyist – I bake, garden, make soap and so on.”

“Part of my role is leading the APAC COE Enablement team, and one of our key challenges is thinking through how we can leverage and use technology to make our teams more efficient while maintaining great results. There’s so much discussion on the use of Generative AI and so we are thinking through how we can upskill our team members to make use of these new technologies which is pretty exciting.

I also have a team that is working on insights generation–we review support interactions looking for insights on how we can make the customer experience better or how we can make our products better. This work is truly impactful in delivering the magical user experience we strive for, in both the product and the support that we provide.”

“It’s very diverse with many different members of the Community Operations organization calling the Manila site their home. It’s also one of the very few offices that operate 24/7 because of the global support we provide. The office in Manila is great to be at because we are situated in the upper floors of a mall–so we have great access to restaurants, shopping and transportation.”

“The health care benefit that includes my family is my favorite. To me this is caring for my wellbeing as a mom, and giving me the peace of mind of having additional support if and when I need it. 

I also love the hybrid work set up. It’s the perfect balance of collaboration that I need with my team and the ability to have more focused time during work from home (WFH) days. I love being able to eat with my team in the cafeteria during our in-office days, and being able to do the same with my kids during my WFH days!”

Interested in joining us? Explore our open roles →

Uber Centers of Excellence (COEs) are contact management centers dedicated to providing world-class customer support to riders and drivers 24/7. At our COEs, we hire Community Support Representatives, Managers, and many other important roles to support business needs and continued growth.