For 2016, Ms Ludivinia Avendaño, ICP board member since 2013, has been awarded the PFCS Award for Chemical Industry. Other recipients include: Dr. Myrna S. Rodriguez (UP-Los Baños) for Chemistry Education (Tertiary Level); Dr. Rochelle T. Papasin (PSHS-Southern Mindanao) for Chemistry Education (Secondary Level); Dr. Relicardo M. Coloso (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center) for Chemical Research; and Victoria Isabel Noel and Florencio Gabriel Noel (House of Representatives) for Service to the Chemistry Profession.
Ms. Ludivinia “Ludy” Avendaño’s more than three decades of service to various leading companies is testament to her being an outstanding asset to the Chemical Industry as a whole. From 1980, her involvement in the laboratory has not been limited to the Philippines but to the Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States as well. Her understanding and appreciation of chemistry flourished and her techniques refined throughout the years. In a span of 36 years in the industry, she has been applying the fundamentals and technical concepts learned from her alma mater which is founded on discipline and determination. These concepts are not derived from hard core researches, reactions, or theories in the academe, but rather, the unpretentious procedures used in the industry such as specifications, sampling, quality control, quality systems, productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, leadership and management, which she has adhered to consistently.
Ms. Ludivinia “Ludy” Avendaño is at present, the Quality and Business Process Manager, Region Quality Assurance of Zuellig Pharma Asia Pacific. She is responsible for reviewing and monitoring of Quality Assurance processes for pharma distribution centers and provides leadership and direction on the development and use of Quality Assurance processes and tools to improve performance.
Before her stint at Zuellig, she had the opportunity to hone her skills as a chemist and leader from her experience and hardworking years at UP Diliman, San Miguel Corporation, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, and Coca Cola Bottling Investment Group. She held various company positions exhibiting excellence in carrying out her duties and constantly producing exemplary output for the company. She does not shy away from responsibilities whether chemistry related tasks or not. She sees them as challenges. She believes and openly declares that “the world is open for us to embrace; be ready to take over. It will not be easy but Chemists are ahead of the League”. Chemists are not defined by the profession; chemistry just enhances it.
Ms. Avendaño rose from the ranks. At San Miguel Corporation, she started as a laboratory chemist to Water Treatment Plant Quality Control Dept head, to Asst. Brew Master supervising Brewing operations, to Plant and then Beverage QA Manager. In Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. (CCBPI), she worked as the Senior Asst Vice President and Quality Assurance Director responsible for the Quality Assurance programs of the integrated Carbonated and Non-carbonated Beverages of CCBPI and Cosmos Bottling Corporation (CBC). In CCBPI, she was responsible for all QA heads and Quality system Heads of the 19 plants of CCBPI, 5 plants of CBC and 7 plants of PhilBev. Concurrently as QA Director, she acted as Process and Technology Group Manager from 2005-2008.
In 2008, she was made Director of the Coke One program. She was responsible for the successful deployment of Coke One in the CCBP, a corporate mandated program for its business transformation initiatives. Coke One integrated the E2E Business Processes of the entire organization enabled primarily by SAP to automate the operations and provide complete visibility of day-to- day transactions. Under her leadership, the project was completed a quarter earlier that the set timeline and within the approved budget. She also worked on the stabilization and optimization of deployed Coke One in CCBPI with about $24 Million worth of both hard and soft savings.
In 2012, Ms. Avendaño was appointed Director of Business Process Management, Coca-cola Bottlers Business Services Inc. She headed the team responsible for ensuring the stabilization and standardization of Business Processes and solutions; return of Investments through Optimization; and consultancy services on value optimization initiatives of Coke One.
Ms. Avendaño moved to Zuellig Pharma Asia Pacific in 2015 where she delivers measurable improvements utilizing continuous improvement strategies and drives harmonization of standard operational and quality-related processes and appropriate actions to reduce variation and eliminate waste, and liaises with multiple Quality organizations to drive timely resolution of Quality related issues.
Ms. Avendaño is one of the Board of Directors of the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP). She made valuable contributions in assisting the Board of Chemistry draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Chemistry Profession Act (New Chemistry Law). She is also a member of the Philippine Society for Quality and an Assessor of the Accredited Philippine Quality Awards.
Ludy is a mother of two daughters and a son; she is a wife to a very supportive loving husband; a sister and a daughter; a niece and a sister-in-law; a mentor and a friend.
