By Padmaja Vaswani, Director & CEO, N.E.W.S. Navigation India
Hosted in collaboration with our regional partners across APAC, the N.E.W.S.® Summit 2025 convened visionary leaders, GCC influencers, and transformation specialists to decode what’s next for Global Capability Centers (GCCs).
Why GCCs? Why Now? The N.E.W.S.® APAC partners chose Global Capability Centers (GCCs) as the focus of this summit because they represent a unifying and urgent opportunity across the Asia-Pacific region. As strategic hubs for innovation, talent, and transformation, GCCs are rapidly reshaping how global enterprises operate, create value, and scale leadership.
India alone hosts more than 1,700 such centers serving global enterprises across industries. In recent years, countries like the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Australia have seen a surge in GCC investment, driven by talent, technology, and trusted delivery ecosystems.
As N.E.W.S.® APAC regional partners, we felt it was imperative to explore the leadership shifts and talent imperatives within this shared landscape—and help leaders and organizations navigate it with clarity and purpose.
It wasn’t just a summit—it was a foresight lab for the future of leadership, talent, and innovation for GCCs in the APAC region.
• Shifting Paradigms in GCCs
We began with a warm welcome note by Aviad Goz, Creator of the NEWS Compass®, sharing how to navigate change with purpose—anchoring GCC leaders in clarity, direction, and focus in today’s evolving landscape.
What followed was a sequence of insight-rich dialogues led by our panelists—stalwarts from the GCC industry—alongside speakers and moderators who are experts in leadership and organizational transformation. Here’s a distillation of the key wisdom shots from the event.
• The Future of Talent & Leadership
Elaine Bernalyn S. Cercado, N.E.W.S.® Partner- POWERinU Training and Coaching Singapore & Philippines, spotlighted emerging shifts in hiring models—from credential-based to skill-first approaches. Insights from our internal survey revealed a unanimous emphasis on hybrid models, emotional intelligence, and the constant need to upskill for resilience.
• Real Voices, Real Impact: The Panel That Shifted Thinking
Chaired by our N.E.W.S.® partners, Vivek Tiwari ( Pragyan Advisory, India ) and Jun Marfori (POWERinU Training and Coaching Philippines), our panelists reflected on leadership agility, cross-border readiness, and workforce transformation in action. These weren’t conceptual frameworks—they were lived realities. Panelists shared the need for distributed leadership, agile learning environments, and cross-cultural maturity.
• Redefining Leadership in GCCs: A Transformative Era
Leadership in GCCs must transcend operational delivery; as Kshama Dhir(EY GDS) noted, reinvention is critical—especially for tenured leaders navigating their next S-curve.
Amit Dubey (Airbnb) and other leaders unpacked the shift toward AI-enabled service delivery and end-to-end accountability.
JP Nadales ( Merck ) and Paolo la’O ( Dexcom ) championed human-centric pathways and internal mobility for younger talent.
What stood out: these leaders didn’t just talk theory—they shared playbooks forged in real-time environments. Their wisdom elevated each moment into a practical masterclass.
• Guest Spotlight: Measuring Impact at Qualitest
Dotan Ben-Meir , COO at Qualitest Group, shared a success story that crossed 6 countries and 8 time zones. With N.E.W.S.® programs embedded into their leadership strategy, they achieved a 97% completion rate in performance conversations and a measurable lift in retention and engagement.
• Looking Ahead: AI Meets Human Navigation
Sara Marcus, CEO of N.E.W.S.® Navigation (Global HQ), concluded the summit with the launch of Aviad Goz AI—an intelligent Compass-aligned leadership coach. This innovation democratizes access to strategic coaching and enables leaders to make aligned, purpose-led decisions at scale.
• Behind the Scenes, With Gratitude
Special thanks to Nir Gilboa (N.E.W.S.® HQ), Trina Gonzales (POWERinU Training and Coaching, Philippines), and Aishwarya Vbs (Siksha™, India) whose tireless support made this event seamless and impactful. Their contributions reflect the backbone of our shared mission.
The APAC Summit concluded with one resounding theme—future-ready GCCs are built not just on structures or strategies, but on vision, values, and velocity at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and intentional leadership.
What’s Next for N.E.W.S.® in the APAC Region? Building on the momentum of this summit, N.E.W.S.® India is excited to co-host a series of virtual Wisdom Circles and in-person leadership dialogs that will explore transformation across industries. We remain committed to equipping leaders with the NEWS Compass®, to navigate complexity and co-create thriving, purpose-led cultures.
We invite you to follow N.E.W.S.® India and our global partners on LinkedIn as we spotlight voices shaping the future of work.
Stay connected to explore insights, cross-border collaborations, and leadership innovations as we unfold new seasons of transformation—together.