Championing wellness at Wells Fargo in India and Philippines

Running a team effectively, operating a business successfully, and promoting well-being among teams, are all aspects that define the leadership team at Wells Fargo EGS (WFEGS) India and Philippines. Our leadership team comprises a triathlete, who has completed five Ironman races, a seasoned marathon runner, an avid footballer, and a fitness enthusiast with multiple competitive rides and runs to his credit.

A team building activity in the form of a cycling trip or a quick football match to de-stress, a unique meeting format called a ‘runversation,’ (combining a conversation with a run) are some of the interesting ways in which these leaders are inspiring teams to take up fitness or sports.

Our in-house Well-being Champions initiative which aims to get more team members to lead healthy lives is being driven by those who know how to combine work with a workout routine. Pankaj Rai, senior vice president, Strategy, WFEGS is the executive sponsor for the initiative in India and has completed over 50 marathons. “When I came to Bengaluru in 2005, the first Bengaluru Marathon had just been launched. A group of friends and I decided to run the marathon dressed up as sadhus (ascetics)! Since then running has become my morning ritual. My runs are social events, where we all run in a group and have ‘runversations’ that end with breakfast! New members are recruited to first join us for breakfast and then eased into running!”

Ton Rubio, operations area manager and senior vice president, WFEGS has participated in five Ironman races and is the executive sponsor for the well-being program in the Philippines. “I have been doing the triathlon (swim, bike, and run) for seven years now and have participated in five 70.3 (1.9 km swim, 90 km bike and 21 km run) Ironman races. I train every day for about two hours and more during weekends,” he said.

At WFEGS, work-life balance and well-being are part of the company culture. Our team members also run special interest groups centered on sports and well-being. Pankaj is part of the Runners and Riders (R&R) group. He said, “My first run with R&R was with my daughter and my last run this year was running barefoot, making new friends on the way. I participate and try to do something new in each run with this fantastic group.”

A direct, hands-on approach to inspiring colleagues to take up fitness activities has proven effective, than merely talking about it at a town hall. “As part of team-building, I have participated in a few weekend cycling and running events with my team and some of them have picked up the fitness habit since those trips,” said Santhanam Govindaraj, Capital Markets – Technology Manager, WFEGS India. Santhanam’s weekly routine involves running about 20 km and cycling about 50 km.

Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to well-being or fitness is core to staying motivated and following through on a fitness plan. “Well-being can and does mean different things to different people. My formula for well-being can be summed up with 1H and 3Es, the sum total of heredity, eating healthy, exercising, and expressing myself,” said Pankaj.

By sharing their well-being mantras and routines, the leaders hope teams understand the positive impact fitness has on their work lives. Roopesh Kumar, Senior Vice President, Wholesale Banking, WFEGS advocates exercise as a way to de-stress after work. “I have always made time to workout at least two to three times a week since my first job. I realized that it gives me a ‘feel good’ factor, both physical and mental. Physical is obvious, but my theory is that aches and pains from a workout drives away all the stress from the day, almost like meditation!”

Seeing someone they inspired take up fitness is rewarding and keeps them motivated too. “I trained regularly for the Olympic distance race (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run) on October 27, 2019, along with Peter De Guzman, a team member in the Philippines, who I’m proud to have inspired to pursue fitness,” said Ton.

Learn more about working for Wells Fargo in India or watch our video.