When I founded the Principles for Peace Foundation three years ago, I had a clear ambition: to build a modern, innovative organisation in International Geneva, lean, agile and designed for impact. From the outset, I chose to concentrate our core strategic and operational capabilities in Geneva, while finding smarter and more cost effective ways to organise the functions that support them.

That is what led me to the Philippines. We started with a small team of Filipino CPAs supporting our financial operations. They quickly proved themselves to be capable, reliable and rigorous, and as P4P grew, so did their role within the organisation.

My confidence in the team has only deepened over time with excellent Audits and positive results.

Today, our colleagues in the Philippines are fully part of the P4P team. Their contribution has expanded well beyond finance to administration, events and logistical support. I have been consistently impressed by the quality of their work, professionalism, work ethic and clear and reliable communication.

Cost efficiency was certainly part of the original equation, but the depth and quality of talent we found in the Philippines became just as important. We have access to highly qualified and motivated professionals who take real pride in the organisation and its success.

Three years on, I see this as one of the choices we got right in building P4P. We have a genuinely international team, working across borders as one organisation, with colleagues in the Philippines playing an increasingly important role in our growth and success.