ING Philippines marks 35 years with leadership forum in partnership with ECCP

Manila, Philippines, 16 September 2025 – ING Philippines, in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), marked its 35th anniversary by hosting a leadership forum titled “Do Your Thing: Lead with Impact” on 15 September 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City. The event brought together approximately 100 emerging leaders from the business and finance sectors for a dynamic exchange on modern leadership and strategies for driving organisational success.

“At ING, we believe in empowering people to go further, do their thing, and create meaningful change,” said Jun Palanca, country manager for ING Philippines. “This belief has guided our journey over the past 35 years in the Philippines. Strong leadership is essential to achieving lasting impact, and this forum reflects our commitment to nurturing the next generation of changemakers.”

The programme featured two key engagement sessions that explored the evolving demands of leadership in today’s dynamic landscape.

The first session, a fireside chat titled “Do Your Thing: Lead with Impact,” explored the qualities that define effective and transformative leadership. Eugene Acevedo, former president and CEO of RCBC and author of Never Stand Alone; Reinvent and Outperform: Becoming a Better Leader; and The Future Leader: What it Takes to be the Next-gen CEO, shared insights on reinvention, digital advocacy, lifelong learning, and purposeful leadership. The conversation was moderated by Lenin Duenas, head of Corporate Sector and Financial Institutions Coverage at ING Philippines, who posed thoughtful questions on delivering results, upholding integrity, and driving positive change across diverse stakeholder groups.

“Digital transformation is 90% transformational and 10% digital. It should be called Transformation Digital—the other way around,” Acevedo remarked when asked about translating management theories into meaningful business change. “Culture is what matters most. A company cannot be digitally transformed unless it is digitally ready,” he added.

The second session, a panel discussion titled “Leading Across Generations and Beyond,” brought together emerging leaders to reflect on their leadership journeys and the complexities of inspiring multigenerational teams. Panellists shared strategies for aligning diverse groups around a common purpose and steering the next phase of organisational growth. The panel featured Carlo Puno, chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief risk officer of Globe Telecom; Raffy Montemayor, co-founder and director of Salmon Group and chair of Salmon Bank (Rural Bank); Philip Dy, president of Metrobank Foundation and executive director of GT Foundation; and Jessica Sy, vice president and head of Design, Innovation, and Strategy at SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and SM Development Corporation. The session was moderated by Nic Chua, director of Corporate Sector and Financial Institutions Coverage at ING Philippines.

The event was also graced by the presence of H.E. Marielle Geraedts, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines, underscoring the strong ties between the Netherlands and the Philippines and the shared commitment to fostering leadership and innovation across borders.

“We’re proud to partner with ING Philippines for this milestone event,” said Paulo Duarte, president of ECCP. “As the Philippines continues to rise as a strategic market in Asia, cultivating strong leadership across sectors is vital to sustaining inclusive growth and innovation.”

The forum also marked a significant milestone for ING Philippines, which has been operating in the country since 1990. ING became the first foreign bank to secure a universal banking licence in the Philippines in 1996, and over the past three decades has established itself as one of the country’s most respected financial institutions. To date, ING has facilitated 194 capital market transactions worth over USD 28 billion and provided advisory services for more than 80 mergers and acquisitions valued at USD 35 billion.