East West Banking Corp. (PSE: EW) Vice President Isabelle Therese G. Yap has been chosen as a member of the Young Global Leaders (YGL) class of 2023 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the lender said in a statement issued last March 15.
WEF’s new YGL Class includes nearly a hundred promising political leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, game-changing researchers, and academic leaders who are accelerating positive and lasting change in their communities, countries and the world, EW said. Yap is one of only two Filipinos chosen for the Class of 2023, it added.
As a YGL, Yap will be part of a global community of leaders who will collaborate to tackle challenges in shaping a more positive, peaceful and prosperous society. She will have the opportunity to participate in events organized by the WEF to share her ideas and work together with other YGLs to create positive change.
The Forum of YGL was established by the WEF in 2004 to bring together young leaders from various fields to collaborate and address the world’s most complex and interdependent challenges. The YGL community now comprises over 1,400 members from all over the world, including artists, heads of state, CEOs of both Fortune-500 companies and trailblazing start-ups, activists, academics, researchers, journalists, and more. The YGLs are recognized for their outstanding leadership qualities, and as part of the program, they have access to opportunities to collaborate, learn from each other, and engage with global leaders to address pressing global issues.
As EW executive director and vice president, Yap “has been instrumental in driving the digital transformation of the bank and enhancing its customer experience,” the lender said.
Among many other projects, Yap dedicated her time and expertise into leading the development of “Komo,” one of the first fully-digital banking services in the country, EW added.
Formally launched in August 2020, Komo helped Filipinos affected by pandemic to digitally access full banking services. Today, Komo embodies the Gotianun family’s vision of empowering the Filipino, and continues to increase financial inclusion in the country by providing banking services to underserved communities.
Prior to EastWest, Yap was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Co. where she served multiple clients across the region. Prior to that, she was part of the management associate program with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.
Yap earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Double Major Finance and Marketing from the Singapore Management University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
