Lynette Ortiz sets bigger stage for Landbank
Seasoned banker Lynette Ortiz, president and CEO of Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank), has built a robust banking career spanning more than three decades.
Throughout her journey—which had taken her to New York, briefly to Singapore and then back home again—she gained core expertise in risk management, treasury, corporate finance and capital markets across major global and domestic institutions.
Notably, she made history as the first Filipino CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Philippines, a role she held for more than six years.
Throughout her tenure at the British bank, Ortiz was instrumental in executing several landmark transactions within the capital markets, contributing significantly to the maiden sustainability bond offerings of both Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines. Her efforts also facilitated the national government’s fundraising initiatives through various global and domestic bond issuances.
But she always finds something new and exciting to learn.
In 2023, she gave up her lucrative post at Standard Chartered to join Landbank, embracing the latter’s unique mission to be the bank for small farmers, fisherfolk, agrarian reform beneficiaries, local government units and government-owned corporations.
Beyond banking, Ortiz is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She has spoken in conferences and symposia on these topics.
She had even led the local staging of Vagina Monologues, joining theater actress and women’s rights activist Monique Wilson, to celebrate International Women’s Day for the benefit of One Billion Rising.
She is also actively involved in various career coaching sessions for college students and young professionals with Filipina CEO Circle.
In 2021, she was named UN Women 2021 Philippine Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards Champion in the Leadership Commitment category.
“The way I would look at it.. you need to also uplift other women, other minorities in an organization. It’s almost like you’re in an elevator; you let them come in so you (too) can move up,” she told the Inquirer in an earlier interview.
In 2024, she also landed on Fortune’s 100 Most Powerful Women Asia list.
Beginnings
She earned her degree in economics (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. and former BSP governor and finance secretary Benjamin Diokno were among her professors.
Her professional journey began in retail banking at Citibank Philippines, which she followed with a bold move to New York. There, she pursued a Master of Business Administration degree, specializing in finance and investments at the City University of New York’s Baruch College.
Also hired by Citibank in New York, she was tasked to scrutinize the risk exposure of treasuries in Latin America in those early days of risk management.
When she returned to the Philippines, she joined Citicorp Global Asset Management, thereafter joining Bank of the Philippine Islands, Banco Santander (later acquired by BDO Private Bank), and HSBC Capital Markets, before ultimately leading Standard Chartered.
Now heading Landbank, an institution with P4.3 trillion in assets and second only to BDO Unibank in size, Ortiz has vowed to maintain robust capital and better serve clients in an “efficient, effective and timely manner.”
Ultimately, she wants to see a suite of competitive product offerings, so that Landbank “can stand shoulder to shoulder with private banks.”
