Filipino industry veteran joins ADVANCE.AI as country manager for Philippines

ADVANCE.AI, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) company that provides digital identity verification, enterprise fraud and risk management solutions, has appointed industry veteran Michael Calma as its Philippines Country Manager to lead and grow its commercial business. ADVANCE.AI is part of Advance Intelligence Group, a Singapore-based tech unicorn backed by key investors SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Warburg Pincus, Northstar, Vision Plus Capital, GSR Ventures and Singapore-based global investor EDBI.

Calma has over 20 years of experience in software development, systems integration, managed services, complex deal structuring, social enterprises and IT education. Prior to ADVANCE.AI, Michael was Country General Manager at DDLS Aboitiz Philippines, a social enterprise startup. Before that, he held senior leadership roles at Dimension Data, MDI-Novare, NEC and also co-founded two tech startups fresh out of college. He graduated with a Computer Science degree from the University of the Philippines and holds an MBA from the same university.

Michael Calma, Philippines Country Manager of ADVANCE.AI, said: “I’m very excited to join ADVANCE.AI at a time when Filipino consumers are shifting en masse to digital channels and services. More than ever post-Covid, banks and financial services enterprises need a trusted and reliable technology partner who can anticipate and address potential friction points across the end-to-end customer journey. We strive towards bayanihan (communal unity) with other technology providers, enterprises, and regulators towards accelerating a digitally empowered and financially inclusive Philippines.”

ADVANCE.AI’s client roster includes Philippines’ credit bureau agency CIBI Information, Standard Chartered, CIMB Niaga, Shopee and Home Credit.

In 2020, ADVANCE.AI was ranked on LinkedIn’s Top 10 Start-ups in Singapore, awarded “Best International Fintech” at India’s Fintech Awards and listed in the “Next Global Tech 50: Artificial Intelligence” shortlist by global investment research firm Equal Ocean. In 2021, it was named a member of the global Fintech Power 50 list.