Maria Angelica Balangue

The Manila branch of Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ( SMBC ) has appointed Maria Angelica Balangue as the head of its corporate banking department in the Philippines.

Her appointment, the bank says, underscores its continued focus on strengthening its corporate banking presence in the Philippines and supporting the long-term growth and success of its clients.

Balangue succeeds Ruben Victa who is retiring after five years of distinguished service, during which he played a key role in strengthening the corporate banking franchise in the Philippines.

Based in Manila, Balangue will drive the strategic direction of its corporate banking in the Philippines and enhance the delivery of integrated solutions to its corporate and institutional customers.

She will report to Hiroyasu Kanda, the bank’s managing director and country head of Philippines, as well as Joyce Tee, its head of corporate banking for the Asia-Pacific region. She will also work closely with regional teams to expand cross-market opportunities.

Balangue has over two decades of experience across leading financial institutions, with strong expertise in corporate banking, capital markets origination and relationship management. Most recently, she served as corporate banking team head at BDO Unibank, where she led a team focused on corporate lending and project financing. She also formerly held various leadership roles at global and regional banks, such as the Union Bank of the Philippines, China Bank Capital Corp and ING Bank.

“With her track record in leading transformation initiatives, managing major portfolios and executing milestone transactions across the region,” Kanda states, “we are well-positioned to grow key sectors in the Philippines and deepen our client relationships.”

Tee adds: “Corporate banking remains a strategic growth engine for SMBC in Asia-Pacific. Under Balangue’s leadership, we will continue to leverage our global network and close collaboration with our partner bank in the Philippines, RCBC, to expand our large corporate business and elevate customer satisfaction locally and across the region.”