CEOs look back on eventful 2024, look forward to a better 2025
(Second of a series)
1. Fabian Dee
President
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.
In 2024, Metrobank embraced growth more than ever. Our stories of growth are what connect us across generations, creating shared experiences and achievements with our Metrobankers, our clients, and the communities we are a part of.
And to capture this, early [last] year, we launched the Grow With Metrobank campaign, which elevated our promise of “You’re in Good Hands” to new heights.
This is a testament that in our 62 years, we have not only provided financial services but also enabled our customers and communities to achieve their dreams, making their growth our mission.
Most recently, Metrobank was named as the Strongest Bank in the Philippines by The Asian Banker for the fourth straight year.
This recognition reflects the Bank’s strength that we manage to protect and uphold, and the trust that our customers give us as we deliver our commitment to service their financial needs. We attribute this to our clients whose trust fuels our purpose.
More importantly, we are proud of the unwavering support and strong performance of Metrobankers, from our frontliners to our support teams, that enabled us to finish strong in 2024. Each Metrobanker stays true to the promise of being the good hands of Metrobank.
And our way of giving back to Metrobankers was manifested when we were named as the country’s best bank employer in the 2025 Best Employers Awards of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista.
Significantly before the year ended, we achieved another milestone for our Metrobankers with the completion of the 2025-2027 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Metrobank Employees Union.
For 2025, we look forward to post continued growth for the Bank as we leverage on our decades-long strength and reputation. We know that more than ever, we are equipped to remain as a strong, stable and reliable financial partner for all our stakeholders
2. Sanjiv Vohra
President and CEO
Security Bank Corp.
In 2024, Security Bank gained tremendous momentum in its journey to become the most customer-centric bank in the Philippines.
We experienced strong revenue growth, with a 28-percent year-on-year increase, bringing our revenue to P40 billion for the first nine months. Our total loans grew by 24 percent, driven by robust growth in Retail and MSME loans, as well as accelerated growth in Wholesale loans.
Additionally, our technology and people investments have transformed how we serve our stakeholders, with new platforms, products and partnerships that delight and add value, including the new tellering system, payments hub, Wave Mastercard, BetterBanking Rewards and the all-new Security Bank app. Alongside the expansion to 345 branches, these efforts have significantly enhanced the customer experience—online and offline.
Looking forward to 2025, we’re excited and determined to continue our journey of innovation and customer-centric service.
We will introduce more groundbreaking products and services for our retail, corporate, and MSME clients; strengthen our technology infrastructure; and expand our sustainable finance initiatives.
Our focus will be on maintaining the momentum we have built and ensuring that our customers continue to receive the exceptional service they deserve.
I’m immensely proud of our accomplishments and even more excited about the future.
With 73 years of legacy behind us and a steadfast commitment to excellence, we’re poised to achieve even greater success in 2025.
We will continue to invest in what matters most to our customers, delivering on our promise of BetterBanking and building stronger, more personal connections with our clients across the country.
3. Nestor Padilla
Chief Executive Officer
Rockwell Land Corp.
The best thing that happened [to Rockwell in 2024] is something we really can’t talk about and share. And then came the slowdown in the market.
That made us realize that these are wake up calls that will make us seize more opportunities the next five years and hopefully make the next five years the best five ever.
4. Gilberto Duavit, Jr.
President and CEO
GMA Network, Inc.
Despite programming changes that affected our ratings on primetime, 2024 has been a year of continued leadership in Broadcast TV and radio for GMA Network.
In parallel, we have solidified content offerings in our online platforms, which find us leading in video views across Southeast Asia and ranking 19th globally in the month of November, based on data from Tubular Leaderboard Worldwide Rankings under the Entertainment and Media category.
Further, we saw a continued increase of our produced content across major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and Viu.
GMA Network will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025.
A strong lineup of TV programs is underway: “Sanggre,” “Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan,” “Mga Batang Riles,” “My Ilonggo Girl,” “Mommy Dearest” and “Prinsesa ng City Jail,” among others, which we anticipate will fortify our ratings in key timeblocks.
As we approach the midterm elections, our focus is in providing not only the most comprehensive Eleksyon 2025 coverage, but one that conforms to the highest standards of journalism and integrity.
5. Pammy Olivares-Vital
President and CEO
Ovialand Inc.
The best thing that happened to Ovialand in 2024 is strengthening our company culture of a growth mindset.
The company experienced another significant growth in top line and bottom line, our fifth straight year of double-digit growth, and what keeps me up at night is always wondering how sustainable this can be.
I go back and forth many scenarios in my head but in the end, it all boils down to the organization and its ability to keep committed to the foundations we have laid: obsession with homebuyer satisfaction, discipline and the will to get things done.
In 2024, we tried a year-long company learning activity wherein we created small groups of various mix of employees and we all read John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader within you.
It was enlightening to go through the self reflection journey and sharing of personal experiences, and we all emerged more determined to be committed to personal growth.
It was so relevant, considering we work with a lot of young people, the “misunderstood” Gen Z as I call it, who have an infamous reputation for quitting and giving up—but going through this with all of them, mixed with our company culture of empowerment, I am proud to say that working with the Gen Z is a rewarding experience!
I am looking forward to opening more developments, improving our craft and closely watching the grade which our homebuyers give us as we aim for 100-percent homebuyer satisfaction across many aspects.
Yes, more growth for 2025 —but no longer with fear or hesitation but confidence and optimism!
6. Anthony Oundjian
Managing Director,
Senior Partner and Head
Boston Consulting Group Manila
2024 was a big year for BCG in Manila.
I am specifically proud that we expanded the size of our leadership team, both by welcoming Julian Cua as our first Filipino locally elected as Managing Director and by doubling our ranks of managers to now over 10 leaders.
This not only strengthens our market leadership, it also sets strong foundations for the next stage of our journey.
Deep local anchorage matters a lot here—whether it is to produce sharp insights like our report on “The Filipino Dream,”or in combination with our global experts to accompany local leaders on their transformation journeys.
It’s great to see local groups becoming bolder and displaying confidence, and we take pride to be a trusted long term partner to them to unlock the potential of the country and more dreams of the Filipinos.
In 2025, we are looking forward to continuing our journey to bring the best of BCG to the Philippines and the best of our country to BCG. This means bringing the full spectrum of our global expertise to Manila, showcasing the country’s incredible potential to our colleagues who meet with CEOs and investors worldwide every single day.
We also want to continue building a diverse team and continuing our commitment to socially impactful causes through the projects we support.
It’s about amplifying the country’s story on the global stage and driving meaningful impact for businesses and communities alike.
(To be continued)
