Transforming Banking and Finance Through Digital: CEO Awards Honoree Eugene Acevedo

The Business Manual Honors Eugene Acevedo, President and CEO of RCBC, at the CEO Awards 2025 for his game changing leadership and digital innovation.
Eugene Acevedo is a distinguished leader known for his transformative work in the banking and finance sector. As the President and CEO of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), one of the Philippines’ leading financial institutions, Acevedo has been instrumental in propelling the bank to new heights, particularly in digital innovation. With over three decades of experience in the industry, he has cemented his reputation as a visionary leader dedicated to modernizing banking and fostering financial inclusion.

Transformative Leadership
Under Acevedo’s stewardship, RCBC has been recognized as the Philippines’ Best Bank for Digital by Asiamoney for four consecutive years. This achievement highlights his relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to advancing the bank’s digital transformation initiatives. By introducing cutting-edge financial technologies and strategic digital solutions, Acevedo has positioned RCBC as a trailblazer in the increasingly competitive digital banking landscape.
RCBC’s digital products, which serve unbanked and underbanked Filipinos across the country, have proven to be a force for financial inclusion. Beyond digital innovation, he also led RCBC through a period of significant growth, driven in part by his support of renewable energy initiatives.
Before taking the helm at RCBC, Acevedo held pivotal leadership roles across major financial institutions. He served as President and CEO of Philippine National Bank, Chairman of CitySavings, and Managing Director at Citibank. These roles equipped him with extensive expertise in financial management, corporate governance, and digital finance, further solidifying his status as a thought leader in the industry.
Acevedo’s academic credentials are equally remarkable. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of San Carlos with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, he later earned his Master’s in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management, where he graduated first in his class. He also completed the prestigious Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Awards and Accolades
In January 2024, Acevedo was recognized as one of the “People of the Year 2024” by PeopleAsia magazine, the only banker to be included in this esteemed list. This accolade underscores his exceptional contributions to the Philippine banking industry and his commitment to excellence in corporate leadership.
Eugene Acevedo’s career reflects a remarkable blend of innovation, strategic governance, and a passion for driving meaningful change. Through his leadership, RCBC continues to deliver groundbreaking solutions, empower financial inclusion, and solidify its role as a trusted financial partner for Filipinos nationwide.
The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025: Honoring Industry Disruptors
The Business Manual is proud to hold its second CEO Awards with the theme “Honoring Industry Disruptors.” This year’s The CEO Awards honors visionary leaders like Eugene Acevedo who are reshaping business landscapes, pushing boundaries, challenging the norm, and setting new standards of success.

Criteria for Excellence
This year’s awardees have been selected from a pool of nominations that include business leaders from both startups and industry giants. Each nomination has been carefully assessed in order to determine if the nominee exhibits the following qualifications in order to be considered for the award:
Innovation, Adaptability, and Disruptive Leadership
- Measures the CEO’s ability to drive innovation, adapt to market changes, and lead the company like industry disruptors who challenge norms and leave a lasting impact.
Effective Management and Strategic Governance
- Assesses the candidate’s business achievements. This includes how the CEO steers the company toward revenue growth and how he or she scales the business (both locally and internationally).
Brand Influence and Recognition in their Industry
- Considers how the CEO has built the credibility and reputation of the company. It gauges how known and recognizable the company is and whether it has attained brand awareness within a wide range of audiences.
Personal Image and Credibility
- Evaluates the CEO’s reputation and how well he or she is perceived by business partners, employees, stakeholders, and consumers. This also includes how he or she applies ethics as a leader, as well as how his or her image contributes to both brand and company representation.
Contribution to Society
- Determines how a CEO has effectively led his or her company and its overall contribution—not just to its respective industry, but to society as a whole. This includes how he or she has implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs or social causes, attained local and/or international recognition, partnered with government initiatives, or exerted efforts for the country.
For this year, The Business Manual’s esteemed panel of judges include:
- Eric Pike Caeg (International Council for Small Business)
- Jay Fajardo (Ideaspace Ventures)
- Mina Akram (Go Negosyo)
- Rhoda Castro-Caliwara (Women Business Council)
- Ronn Astillas (Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce)
- Consul Sergio Ortiz Luis (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Stay updated with the full coverage of The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025 via The Business Manual’s official website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.