How to Disrupt Banking, as Told by UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista

From engineer to marketer, and now, banker. UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista reveals how he redefined the old ways of banking to make it future-ready.

Although Edwin Bautista took on the role as the President and CEO of Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) just last 2016, he has made waves—not just within the company, but also in the banking industry as a whole.

Since his induction into the position, Bautista can be credited for turning UnionBank into a multi-awarded universal bank, with prestigious titles like “Digital Bank of the Year” 5 years in a row from The Asset; “Best Domestic Private Bank Philippines” from Asian Private Banker; “Best for Wealth Transfer or Succession Planning” from AsiaMoney; and "Asia Trailblazer Institution of the Year” by Retail Banker International. Moreover, he was able to bag two major awards at The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services and Technology Innovation Awards in the year 2022 alone!

All this can be attributed to his sharp business acumen and extensive experience, which have, in turn, propelled UnionBank into becoming the country's ninth-largest bank in assets. However, his crowning moment as the bank's President and CEO includes pioneering a digital transformation—which not only put UnionBank’s name on the global digital banking map but also heralded a major turning point in the world of banking.

Here's how he, in his words, "disrupted the old ways of banking."