The Vision: Invisible Banking and the Future of Finance#
In Season 6 of the hit reality series The Final Pitch, I took to the judges’ panel as the President and CEO of UBX, the fintech venture studio and fund of UnionBank of the Philippines.
In this featured appearance, I articulated a core thesis that has driven my career in financial technology: the future of banking is invisible. As digital transformation accelerates, financial services must be seamlessly embedded into the platforms and experiences that matter most to individuals and businesses.
Building and Backing Digital Ecosystems#
My appearance on the show highlighted my dual mandate of building ventures from zero to scale while strategically deploying capital. As Employee Number One who led the spin-off of UBX in 2018, I transformed the company into the Philippines’ leading embedded finance platform.
In the video, I break down how a successful corporate venture studio operates by both incubating internal ideas and investing in external talent. I showcased the pragmatic execution behind my vision, highlighting key platforms developed to empower MSMEs during the pandemic:
- Sentro: An e-commerce platform allowing small businesses to quickly establish an online presence.
- Bux: The country’s largest payments platform by diverse payment methods and locations, successfully digitizing transactions right up to the last mile.
- SeekCap: A 100% digital, end-to-end lending platform giving small businesses critical, rapid access to working capital.
Entrepreneurs as the “Real Heroes”#
For me, investing is ultimately about people. I viewed The Final Pitch as a vital avenue to discover and support great talent. Combining deep situational awareness with what I hope is an inspirational leadership style, I championed the idea of competing entrepreneurs as the “real heroes” of the post-pandemic era. I recognize that the founders brave enough to bring new ideas to the market are the ones who will critically reinvent and revitalize the economy.
From the Screen to Your Boardroom#
Today, I bring the same sharp intuition, venture capital acumen, and operational leadership showcased on The Final Pitch to my exclusive advisory practice. Having built a large corporate venture fund that achieved >3x TVPI and returned all invested capital in just five years, I knows what it takes to identify product-market fit and scale businesses.
Whether you are looking to set up an internal innovation arm, navigate complex regulatory landscapes, or execute a successful market entry into the Philippines and Southeast Asia, I provide the domain expertise and executive network to ensure you win on the execution battlefield.