Lito Villanueva

Lito Villanueva is the Philippines’ foremost thought leader in digital transformation and inclusive digital finance at scale. As the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer of RCBC, he has led the bank’s digital revolution, delivering groundbreaking innovations that have earned over 300 accolades in five years. Among these are six consecutive Best Bank for Digital awards from Euromoney (2020 to 2025)—the first bank in Asia to achieve such a historic feat, Gartner’s Eye for Innovation, YouTube’s Challenger Award, Sustainable Innovator of the Year at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, and ASEAN’s Best Customer Experience Bank at the ASEAN Fintech Forum Awards 2025. He also serves as the Chief Digital Transformation Advisor of the Yuchengco Group of Companies.

Villanueva’s expertise and contributions have been widely recognized. He was named among People Asia’s Men Who Matter in 2025, Asia’s Trailblazer of the Year 2025 by the Retail Banker International, Asia’s Top Outstanding Netizen (Digital) Marketeer of the Year by the Asia Marketing Federation and CX Professional of the Year by The Digital Banker. He has also been celebrated as Philippines’ Innovator of the Year for Banking in the Asian Management Excellence Awards, received the Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Management in the Agora Awards (dubbed the Oscars of Philippine marketing), and was twice a Circle of Excellence awardee at the Asia CEO Awards. Other accolades include PhilSec’s Digital Leader of the Year 2023 and being hailed “Mr. FinTech of the Philippines” by BizNews Asia.

On LinkedIn, Villanueva stands out with triple distinctions in 2023: Top 100 Filipinos on LinkedIn, Top 30 Philippine Leaders, and Top Finance Leader under the LinkedIn Leadership Catalysts Awards. Globally, he has been listed among the Asian Banker’s Leading Practitioners in Banking and Financial Technology, The Asian Banker’s Top 10 ASEAN Banking Leaders on Digital Reinvention, Seamless Asia’s Top 50 Banking and Payments Leaders, and Top 100 Fintech Leaders in Asia. His work has garnered over 100 regional and global accolades.

In addition to his professional roles, Villanueva is the founding chairman of Fintech Alliance.PH, founding chairman of the Alliance of Digital Finance and FinTech Associations, a permanent council member of the ASEAN FinTech Forum, a trustee of the Philippine Blockchain Council, co-founder of Asia FinTech Alliance, and an advisory board member of the ASEAN Innovation Business Platform. He is also a founding member of the Philippine-Hungary Business Council. A published author, he wrote the award-winning Inclusive Digital Finance Report and pens a regular business column, Bytes, for the Philippine Star.

Villanueva holds two master’s degrees: a Master’s in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines and a Master of Arts in Public Administration, magna cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas. He also completed the Digital Transformation by Design program at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Through his unwavering commitment to innovation, inclusion, and leadership, Lito Villanueva continues to shape the digital finance landscape, empowering millions across the Philippines and beyond.