They say that behind the success of every company is a great founder. And since it’s his birthday today, it’s time to learn what makes Virtua Solutions’ Francis Guintu great. But that’s not all. His closest friends and loved ones share fun things that will surprise many.
Francis’ Fave Foods
Despite his seemingly serious persona, Francis also has plenty of amusing quirks. Jim, his long-time partner, shares that he can be rather picky about food. However, he does have his simple favorites.
Like any other regular person, Jim says Francis absolutely loves his pancit canton. He reveals that the Virtua head can down a plateful of the popular dish on his own. If he still can’t get enough of his canton fix, he is always ready for round two.
And Francis certainly loves his noodles. Jim and Francis’ long-time colleague Cha Arias reveals that he won’t leave any Jollibee branch without chowing down on spaghetti and chickenjoy.
Besides noodles, Francis also loves his fish. Cha says that he is more of a tuyo guy. He also loves having a stock of canned tuna for his quick cravings.
Francis’ Frantic Day
Being the head of a growing company, Francis definitely has a lot going on daily. Cha says that the first thing he does when he wakes up is to check his phone. And then he preps himself. On busy days, he takes just quick bathes. But if it’s a day off, Jim and Cha reveal that he can be in the shower for a staggering hour.
The two also revealed the things that Francis can’t leave home without. Being a busy CEO, Francis can’t definitely go without his cell phone. And both agree that he can’t leave home without a pack of cigarettes.
In fact, Jim and Cha reveal that you can tell a lot about Francis’ mindset just by looking at him smoking. Jim says that it is often one of the signs that he is bored. Cha says that Francis likes doing many things, even when is already doing other things. And if he doesn’t, then he feels the itch to take a puff.
Francis’ Day Out
On his days off, Francis loves spending quality time with his loved ones. And this is where they say that his more amusing quirks really shine. Jim and Cha say that one of his favorite pastimes is rock climbing.
That is certainly a surprise for those who meet Francis for the first time. But Jim and Cha say that he can be adventurous. “He even tried bouldering,” Jim revealed. Bouldering is a variation of rock climbing where the participant does not use any harness. They simply rely on their climbing shoes and chalk for gripping.
Outside of his extreme escapades, Francis is a bit of a homebody. He would often just watch TV or play Switch games. And what of his favorite movies? Cha says that Francis can watch the romance classic Notting Hill over and over again.
Despite being the romantic, Francis has one pet peeve. “Pag nagpapacute ako (when I’m making cute gestures),” Jim grins. “He gets annoyed whenever I start baby-talking to him.”
Frugal Francis
Having come a long way from his humble beginnings, Francis is very wise with money. But it also means that he has a lot of amusing kuripot moments. Jim says that he absolutely hates interbank transfer fees.
Meanwhile, Cha relates some amusing stories whenever they are out shopping or doing the groceries. “He would put all the things he wanted to buy in the cart. But by the time we get to the counter, he removes all those things,” Cha laughs. “Sometimes, he ends up not buying even a single item.”
And that frugality definitely came a long way for our birthday boy. He was able to grow his career and eventually set up Virtua. And the first thing that he bought from his first earnings? A brand new car.
Francis’ Golden Heart
Beyond his quirks, Francis’ loved ones have plenty to say about why he is a great human being. Virtua co-founder, and Francis’ best friend, Penn Camille Lat describes him as someone with a knack for coming up with all sorts of ideas. “He always has something marinating in his head. But sometimes those things come out of the blue” Penn says.
“Then, he’ll just suddenly call you to discuss those ideas,” she recalls. “That’s why I call him the ‘ideas guy’.”
Penny recalled one of the “crazy” ideas that Francis pulled off. “There was a time when our team at Contactually was gradually expanding. He thought that I had the potential to be a good team manager.”
“He actually started planting the idea that I volunteer to our boss to be the manager,” Penn says. “I’m definitely thankful that he did push me since it gave my career a good push.”
Cha says that Francis also has a lot of heart for ordinary people. He would often go out of his way to help old people around. “One time, while he was walking, he saw an old woman who was hunched over, maybe due to scoliosis,” Cha recalls. ”Francis stayed with her and helped her walk home.”
With all of that, it is no wonder why many people loves our birthday boy so much. Happy Birthday Francis! May you have more to come.