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Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad

Published Author | Award-Winning Senior Marketing Communications Professional | Mentor and Advocate for Inclusive Growth | Linkedin

Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad is a seasoned marketing communications professional with over a decade of experience in the outsourcing industry. Her strategic approach to storytelling and brand messaging has helped elevate company profiles and foster meaningful audience engagement across global markets. In 2024, she was honored with the Bronze Golden Bridge Award for Communications Professional of the Year, recognizing her significant contributions in the field.

Before transitioning fully into the outsourcing sector, Rissa held managerial roles in the Philippine tourism industry where she oversaw diverse responsibilities including marketing communications, tour product development, and partner relationship management. She specialized in MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), planning and overseeing events ranging from company incentive trips to trade shows. Having served people at all organizational levels during this period, she developed a unique and holistic understanding of employee, customer, and executive-level motivations. This broad perspective deeply informs her communication strategies and content creation.

Rissa is also the bestselling author of Philippines 100 Travel Tips, a practical and inspiring travel guide that continues to attract readers both in print and Kindle editions on Amazon. This publication reflects her passion for travel and her dedication to sharing authentic stories that help others explore the beauty and culture of the Philippines.

A passionate mentor, Rissa is committed to guiding junior writers and younger teammates, fostering their growth and encouraging creativity. She believes real leadership is less about being the smartest in the room and more about empowering others to soar — even if they rise higher than oneself. Despite her extensive experience, Rissa embraces a belief in continuous learning to stay adaptive and relevant in a rapidly changing industry.

Her insights into workplace inclusion and the evolving role of AI in the modern workforce highlight the importance of valuing diverse experiences and creative human contributions alongside technology. At her current role with Cloudstaff, she advocates for the thoughtful integration of AI tools to enhance human creativity, promote inclusive work environments, and enable purposeful professional growth.

Rissa’s journey exemplifies resilience, creativity, and dedication, making her a respected and sought-after voice in both professional marketing communications and travel writing communities. Connect with her to explore ideas in brand storytelling, corporate communication strategies, and vibrant travel experiences.

Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad
Aaron Anaya, Regional Sales Manager for Mortgage and Real Estate at Cloudstaff, discussing how operational support helps mortgage and real estate teams scale with clarity and consistency.

Meet Aaron Anaya: Supporting Mortgage and Real Estate Teams at Scale 

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad In this conversation: Aaron Anaya, Cloudstaff’s Regional Sales Manager for Mortgage and Real Estate, shares why he joined Cloudstaff, what he is hearing from mortgage and real estate leaders across North America, and how teams are structuring operational support to align with regulated financial services environments and transaction driven real estate workflows.  Mortgage and real estate teams […]

Meet Aaron Anaya: Supporting Mortgage and Real Estate Teams at Scale  Read More »

Roberto Gonzalez, Cloudstaff Growth Consultant for Travel and Tourism, discusses capacity planning and virtual support for travel and tourism businesses

Meet Roberto Gonzalez: Scaling Travel and Tourism Businesses With Global Teams 

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad The Travel and Tourism Industry’s Growing Workforce Gap   Few industries understand the cost of a staffing gap better than travel and tourism. When a cruise booking goes wrong, when an itinerary falls apart, or when a customer cannot get answers in the critical window before departure, the damage is operational and deeply personal.

Meet Roberto Gonzalez: Scaling Travel and Tourism Businesses With Global Teams  Read More »

Jose De Soto, Cloudstaff VP of Sales for the Accounting Vertical, on the future of CPA firms and virtual staffing in North America

Meet Jose De Soto: Scaling Accounting Firms with Sustainable Global Talent

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad Accounting firm leaders are navigating a familiar tension: client demand remains steady, but local talent pipelines are tighter than ever. To help firms think through sustainable capacity solutions, Cloudstaff recently welcomed Jose De Soto as Vice President of Sales for the Accounting Vertical.  Jose brings over fifteen years of experience building teams across professional services, financial consulting, and

Meet Jose De Soto: Scaling Accounting Firms with Sustainable Global Talent Read More »

Cloudstaff employees celebrate the PHP 150 million Investors Club bonus payout at a company event in 2026.

Cloudstaff Celebrates Its People with a PHP 150 Million Bonus to Employees Through its Investors Club 

Tenure, community participation, and shared commitment are recognized with real, tangible rewards   By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad Manila, Philippines, April 10, 2026 — Cloudstaff tonight distributed PHP 150 million in special bonus payments to its employees through the Cloudstaff Investors Club program, a company-funded initiative built on a simple conviction: when a business grows, the people who contributed should share in its rewards.  The massive bonus payout is funded by Cloudstaff, independent of

Cloudstaff Celebrates Its People with a PHP 150 Million Bonus to Employees Through its Investors Club  Read More »

Cloudstaff North America expands virtual staffing expertise across six industries with new sales leadership appointments in travel, accounting, and mortgage and real estate financing

Cloudstaff North America Welcomes New Sales Leadership as Vertical Expertise Grows Across Six Industries

Three new industry specialist appointments in travel, accounting, and mortgage and real estate financing join an already established bench of vertical experts as Cloudstaff accelerates its US growth strategy  CHARLOTTE, NC, March 31, 2026 — Cloudstaff, a global leader in virtual staffing solutions, today announced the appointment of three industry specialists to its North American team: Roberto Gonzalez as Growth Consultant,

Cloudstaff North America Welcomes New Sales Leadership as Vertical Expertise Grows Across Six Industries Read More »

Business continuity and operational resilience in a high-rate environment

How CFOs Build Operational Resilience When Rates Rise and Infrastructure Wavers 

By Rissa Lumontad   The Reserve Bank of Australia has lifted the cash rate to 4.10%. Simultaneously, the Philippines has declared a national energy emergency amid rising global oil prices. For CFOs and finance leaders across APAC, these represent connected challenges rather than isolated headlines. They create dual pressure on business operations: higher borrowing costs and increased infrastructure risk.   When capital becomes more expensive and

How CFOs Build Operational Resilience When Rates Rise and Infrastructure Wavers  Read More »

Built and Cloudstaff leaders and team members gathered at the Cloudstaff SkyClub in Manila for The Tenth Beam, celebrating 10 years of partnership on 19 February 2026.

Ten Years in the Making: Built and Cloudstaff Celebrate a Decade of Partnership at The Tenth Beam

A milestone evening in Manila honours the Cloudstaffers who have been the backbone of Built’s Australian operations for 10 years. The event was a reflection on a partnership that grew from a handful of back-office roles into a 40-strong virtual team embedded across finance, engineering, and quantity surveying.  By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad MANILA, PHILIPPINES, February 19, 2026 — When Built, one of Australia’s leading

Ten Years in the Making: Built and Cloudstaff Celebrate a Decade of Partnership at The Tenth Beam Read More »

End of Financial Year Staffing Australia: How Can Accounting Firms Add Remote Staff Before EOFY Without Compromising Compliance? 

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad EOFY creates a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with staffing agencies on processes like payroll, allowing your core teams to channel their expertise toward meaningful business growth.  The Australian financial year wraps up on 30 June, bringing those familiar final weeks filled with concentrated energy and focused effort. During this vibrant peak season, the ATO processes hundreds of thousands

End of Financial Year Staffing Australia: How Can Accounting Firms Add Remote Staff Before EOFY Without Compromising Compliance?  Read More »

Cloudstaff Roar 2025 at Philippine Arena with 30,000 attendees, BINI, SpongeCola.

Cloudstaff Roar 2025: Uniting Community with BINI, SpongeCola 

Year-end gathering at Philippine Arena features top entertainment, prizes, and shared success.  By Rissa Lumontad BULACAN, PHILIPPINES – December 7, 2024 – Cloudstaff brought together nearly 30,000 team members, families, friends, clients, and partners for Roar 2025 on December 6 at the Philippine Arena. The night was made electric by performances from P-pop stars BINI,

Cloudstaff Roar 2025: Uniting Community with BINI, SpongeCola  Read More »

Paul Dove as Cloudstaff General Manager – Financial Services (APAC) will drive virtual staffing support for accounting and financial services firms

Cloudstaff Names Paul Dove to Lead APAC Financial Services Growth

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad New appointment follows Cloudstaff’s landmark engagement with 5,000+ accountants at PICPA SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — November 28, 2025 — Cloudstaff, a trusted global staffing partner for over 20 years, has appointed Paul Dove as General Manager – Financial Services (APAC). In this role, Paul will drive Cloudstaff’s strategy to support accounting and financial

Cloudstaff Names Paul Dove to Lead APAC Financial Services Growth Read More »

Cloudstaff Responds to Cebu Earthquake with Comprehensive Employee Support and Business Continuity Measures 

Cloudstaff Responds to Cebu Earthquake with Comprehensive Employee Support and Business Continuity Measures

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad Established protocols and preparedness training enable swift, coordinated response to protect staff and maintain operations  October 2, 2025 – Cebu, Philippines — Following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on the evening of September 30, Cloudstaff successfully executed its business continuity plan to ensure the safety and well-being of its Cebu-based employees

Cloudstaff Responds to Cebu Earthquake with Comprehensive Employee Support and Business Continuity Measures Read More »

In the image, Lloyd Ernst and Derek Gallimore are featured in a podcast episode discussing business process outsourcing and outsourced services, AI-generated code development, AI services and custom solutions, AI tool assistance and modernization, software development company solutions, artificial intelligence solutions, machine learning models, human–AI collaboration, remote workers and independent contractors, achieving business objectives, automating tasks, gaining competitive advantage, delivering powerful and cost-effective code, integrating with existing platforms, OpenAI ChatGPT review, company culture, working hours, and partnering with the right outsourcing teams with extensive experience to help many businesses improve efficiency and gain lasting benefits.

AI in Outsourcing Industry: How AI and People Make a Winning Combo for Smarter Scaling 

By Rissa Gatdula-Lumontad Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the outsourcing landscape. But rather than replacing jobs, AI enhances them. Lloyd Ernst, CEO of Cloudstaff, sees AI as a productivity partner that amplifies the benefits of outsourcing—cost reduction, efficiency, and scalability—for businesses worldwide.   On the latest Outsource Accelerator podcast, OA CEO and host Derek

AI in Outsourcing Industry: How AI and People Make a Winning Combo for Smarter Scaling  Read More »