History:
Esquire was first established in January, 1975 as a trader and wholesaler of dry goods by Mr. Ashok “Albert” Uttamchandani. The business flourished and branches opened in Tagbilaran, Ormoc and Hong Kong. Realizing that business success was due to the credit lines extended to its customers, he decided to shift focus and established Esquire International Credit Resources Inc. in 1991. The company’s primary purpose was to act as a lending investor. With the eventual incorporation of Esquire International Financing Inc (EIFI), the company has extended its services from simple lending to check discounting, basic deposit taking, a pawnshop and foreign exchange division. All the while, the company remains dedicated to its thrust – being a partner in the success of customers.
Throughout the years, Esquire has dedicated unparalleled effort and resources towards corporate social responsibility. Not only has it innovated how business lending is managed, it has also launched HELP Inc. – Helping Entrepreneurs Launch Plentitude. This is the group’s micro financing arm focusing on entrepreneurs outside Metro Manila. Its first office was established in Morong, Rizal in 2006 and has now reached over 30 branches across Luzon.
Esquire’s current venture involves delegation. Just this year, a new company was established to serve the target set of customers that have differentiated needs. Esquire Financing Inc. (EFI) is a direct response to the unanswered need of the Small and Medium Enterprise segment for a trusted financial partner – one that will be their key to success.
Profile:
Vision: Enabling Financial Partnerships
Mission: To create successful partnerships with businesses across the nation
Aim:
For our clients to acquire success
For our investors to enjoy the returns above the market
For our employees to have a productive and enjoyable working environment
To empower our agents to create wealth
Values: EFI is centered on three core values – principles that drive every decision, process, product, or innovation.
Our values determine how we treat our people, clients and partners. They define who we are and how we do our jobs. It also helps us work together in the most effective way. Our values are:
Efficiency – We shall, at all times, endeavor to simplify processes, make tasks simpler, and find ways to innovate. We shall work as a team in developing and unceasingly innovating a streamlined and seamless process that promotes customer convenience.
Flexibility - We shall, at all times, attempt to address and satisfy our customers’ needs without compromising our ethics and values. We shall adjust to their requirements, and remain tenacious and dynamic, proactively approaching them with value solutions.
Integrity - We shall never engage in any business activity that is against the written law or its inherent intent and purpose. We shall have a conscience in every decision we make. Profit shall, at all times, be sacrificed in favor of our integrity and reputation.
With these values, the experience from EIFI, and a business model geared towards its target market, it is certain that EFI shall indeed be the “Key to Success” to its customers and stakeholders.
Board of Directors:
- Rajan A. Uttamchandani
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer - Sandeep G. Chandiramani
Director & Chief Financial Officer - Ravi A. Uttamchandani
Treasurer - Danilo Antonio
Independent Director - Atty. Jose Mario Bunag
Independent Director - Jaime Enrique Y. Gonzalez
Independent Director - Atty. Donato Faylona
Corporate Secretary - Atty. Melissa R. Lichaytoo
Asst. Corporate Secretary
Management:
Rajan A. Uttamchandani, President and Chief Executive Officer
Rajan A. Uttamchandani, Filipino, is the Managing Director of Esquire International Financing Inc, a leading financing company with significant operations in the Philippines, India, Middle East and other parts of Asia. He founded HELP, a non-profit microfinancing company with over thirty branches across the Philippines.
Rajan is a member of the Rotary Club of Makati Central, Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines.
Rajan holds a Bachelors Degree from Bentley College, MA and an MBA from the Asian Insitute of Management.
Sandeep G. Chandiramani, Chief Finance Officer
Sandeep G. Chandiramani, American, brings to EFI over 20 years of financial leadership and operational experience including a decade supporting Red Hat Inc’s (NYSE:RHT) 100-fold growth worldwide. He was part of the team that took the company public in 1999 and expanded the company’s operations as Regional CFO in Europe and South Asia-Pacific. Prior to that, he spent 6 years in manufacturing and export companies in the Philippines.
Sandeep is a pioneer of the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project in the Philippines and sits on the board of eKindling, Inc. a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance educational and digital opportunities in underserved communities.
Sandeep passed the CPA Board examinations in the Philippines (12th Place, May 1990) and North Carolina (2001). He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Accountancy degree from the University of the Philippines (cum laude), an MBA from East Carolina University and completed an E-commerce management course at Harvard University.
