Katrina Letargo, DTM

Relevant work experience and how it relates to Toastmasters and your role as a Board Member:

I sit as Board of Director, not only in our alumni association, but also in some of the companies I have work for. Being part of the Board gives me a broader understanding on what policies need to be prioritized and how it affects the employees and the company in general. If I will relate it to the role in Toastmasters, I will have to always consider what is best for the individual and if the policy will be aligned to the mission, vision and values of the organization.

What experience do you have in strategic planning?

When I was Lt. Gov. for Marketing, I have mapped out the geographic areas in our country where we can build clubs and grow our membership. I have spearheaded the campaigns such as Corporate Summit where we can make the Toastmasters program part of the training program of the company. This has been part of the 3 year plan, so when I became the District Governor, we were able to grow the membership and clubs in the District and was able to hit President's Distinguished District. Outside of Toastmasters, I have been doing business development in the various companies I worked for, and this includes increasing the presence of the company in the country as well as securing long term contracts that would sustain the company for years.

What experience do you have in the area of finance?

As entrepreneur, I have developed and applied my financial management skills in business development and handling operations of the company.

What experience do you have in developing policies?

When I was an HR Consultant, I help the HR OD head and each HR group develop their set of company and employee policies and handbook. Other than the work experience, I also sit as Board of Director to our alumni association where we review the current policies and make amendments as necessary.

What lessons did you learn from previous leadership positions?

I have learned that it is important to have clear communication lines with people you collaborate with. Also, it is very important to keep the relationship in the team, so adjusting the leadership style depending to the situation and the person is key to the success of a team.

What experience and key strengths would you bring to the Board of Directors?

I bring my experience as a Toastmaster of 29 years and have been witness to the challenges faced by Toastmasters and TM leaders from various districts. Because of this experience I easily provide recommendations to simple and even complex situations. During deliberations, I always see the merits and challenges of points raised and can provide sound judgement.

Why do you want to serve as an International Officer/Director?

With the many changes happening globally, our organization needs to be aligned with these changes not only in the educational space, but also in the technical/IT space; and being exposed to global companies and these changes, I believe I can help the organization more by serving as International Director by reviewing and recommending policies that would benefit individual Toastmasters as well as their respective clubs and the organization as a whole.

What volunteer experience do you have outside of Toastmasters?

I am very much active in our alumni association, as well as being a member of Soroptimist International and Rotary International exposes me to do more for the community and help others.

Have you worked with other Boards of Directors outside of Toastmasters? If so, describe your experience.

Yes. I sit as Board of Director in our alumni association and also have the privilege to be Committee Chair. The experience taught me to be more patient at the same time be able to develop synergy with people from different generations who might have some apprehensions with the technology we use today. It was challenging to introduce new ways, but with clear communication and a lot of patience, we were able to implement projects and monitor them to make the process efficient. It is also very interesting to observe the protocols being followed because there are some nuances that are practiced in certain groups.

In your opinion, what are Toastmasters International’s major objectives and how would you work to achieve them?

In my opinion, the major objective is still to develop an individual's communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment. We can do this through our network of clubs and in essence build a person's confidence and empower them to be better communicators and leaders.

Additional information about candidate:

I come from a family of Toastmasters and have been a Toastmaster for almost 30 years. I have been helping grow our district and help fellow Toastmasters achieve their goals, since this is my way of giving back to the organization and to the people who have helped me in my journey as a Toastmaster and in my career.