Meet the Founders
UMANA was born out of a shared desire to make HR accessible to every organization no matter the size or stage.
Together, Richel and Len built UMANA as a people management company that puts empathy at the center of every scalable HR solution. They believe that human-centered work is not just good for people. It’s good for business.
Richel Sayo brings deep expertise in Integrated Human Resources Management and Organization Development. She has held hands-on roles in both multinational and local organizations across diverse industries, including FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Semiconductor, Logistics, Insurance, Retail, and Government.
Grounded in the Humanities, Richel elevates HR from a transactional function to a transformative force. She leads with empathy and insight, ensuring people operations remain rooted in connection, clarity, and care especially as workplaces evolve in the age of AI. Beyond corporate education, experience, and exposure, she earned her Global Human Resources Management Certificate from the University of Liverpool in 2019, underscoring her commitment to excellence, progress and continuous growth.
Len Villa brings deep expertise in Strategic Human Resources Management and Talent Management, developed through leadership roles in both global and local organizations. Her career spans the Insurance, Pharmaceutical, and IT industries, where she has built HR teams from the ground up and strengthened existing functions to support business growth.
With a foundation in Accounting and past certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Len brings a distinctive perspective to HR viewing people not just as resources, but as strategic assets that drive sustainable success. She excels in translating workforce strategies into measurable results that align with long-term organizational goals. In addition to her corporate credentials, she earned her Master of Business Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2003, reflecting her commitment to serving as a strong co-pilot to the business.
To rehumanize work.
Our Purpose
Our Mission
To deliver scalable HR solutions that foster positive human connections and create exceptional work experiences, driving growth and profitability.
Simplify Operations. Enhance Experience.
Our Value Proposition
Access to Expertise. Without the Overhead.
Smarter Spending. Predictable Costs.
Streamline HR so you can focus on what matters most. Our flexible solutions grow with you boosting employee experience and operational efficiency.
Tap into HR expertise and technology without locking into capital outlays or long-term commitments.
Gain better control over your budget by managing and even reducing operational HR costs while maximizing long-term value.
Stay Protected. Stay Compliant.
Minimize risk and ensure alignment with evolving labor laws, standards, and policies locally and globally.
People over paperwork.
Purpose over process.
Focus on talent, innovation, and the big-picture strategies that move your business forward.
At UMANA, our values guide us when decisions are hard, when the path is unclear, and even in the quiet, unseen moments of daily work. They remind us that HOW we do things matters just as much as WHAT we do. When we live out our values, we create more than results. We build relationships, foster trust, and help people and organizations grow in ways that truly last.
Our Values
"Do good that you can, even when it seems small."
SERVICE
The Heart of Service
PROFESSIONALISM
The Standard of Excellence
"Excellence is not an act but a habit."
INITIATIVE
The Spark of Leadership
"See the need. Own the response."
ORDER
The Economy of Action
"Clarity brings Capacity."
We act with empathy, listen actively, and go the extra mile to uplift others whether or not its part of the job.
We show up with integrity, deliver with consistency, and always seek to do ordinary work extraordinarily well.
We act with courage, think ahead, and take responsibility not just for doing the work, but for making it better.
We create structure and systems that reduce friction, foster calm, and make room for meaningful work.
Our Approach
Thoughtful by Design. Grounded in Evidence. Centered on People.
Every organization is different because people are. That’s why we use a structured, human-centered approach to understand your unique context and create solutions that actually work. Our approach is simple, but powerful:
We start by listening with empathy and intent. We explore your current challenges, uncover what matters to you, and gather both insight and data to build a clear picture of where you are.
DISCOVER
DELIVER
Define - DESIGN - Develop
Next, we shape the path forward. Together, we co-design solutions that are aligned with your goals - structured enough to scale, flexible enough to fit. Every step is rooted in both evidence and experience.
Finally, we bring the plan to life. We implement with care, clarity, and consistency ensuring the change is understood, adopted, and sustained.