Eugene Acevedo, President and CEO of RCBC, shares valuable lessons on managing crises and transforming an organization for growth.

Growth follows Eugene Acevedo. Throughout his career, whatever bank he has led, growth soon follows. Since taking the leadership of RCBC as President and CEO in 2019, he has led the company to an incredible run that shows no signs of stopping. In just four short years, RCBC has leapfrogged from being the eighth largest privately-owned bank in the Philippines to the fifth largest. It has achieved this feat by growing, on the average, around 6% better than the industry, but what’s more remarkable is that this occurred during a time of crisis–the pandemic years, the tumultuous period emerging from the pandemic, and a time of rapid technological change and disruption. Yet the stellar rise of RCBC is only half the story. Beyond the numbers, it is a story of unquantifiable things: leadership and transformation.

The Business Manual spoke to Eugene Acevedo on a blistering April afternoon at the Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza and shared a conversation about his tremendous success at RCBC, financial inclusion, the transformative power of digital, and championing renewable energy initiatives. At the same time, we also talked about how Acevedo recently became a senior citizen, his memoirs, Never Stand Alone, and how he has been surprised to find fulfillment at the pinnacle of his career.