China Banking Corporation (China Bank) recently appointed two senior executives to key positions in the Bank: Virgilio O. Chua as first vice president of Investment Banking Group and Cristina D. Cristobal as senior assistant vice president and project manager for the Systems & Development Division of China Bank subsidiary CBC Properties and Computer Center, Inc. (PCCI), which handles the group-wide technology strategy and IT initiatives of China Bank.

Virgilio Chua

Reporting to SVP Rhodora Z. Canto, Chua will help oversee the expansion of China Bank’s investment banking business which includes private equity, advisory, private placement and capital markets activities.

Chua brings 24 years’ experience in credit management, corporate banking, and investment banking to the Bank, 18 years of which were spent honing his skills in the latter.  During his career, he handled a broad range of financing and advisory assignments, playing key roles in various major deals, i.e. debt capital markets, official agency financing, and mergers & acquisitions. He held several senior management positions in leading banks and financial institutions; his most recent post was as VP and senior relationship manager of Citibank’s Global Banking Group.

Cristina Cristobal

“Vio’s deal experience, leadership skills, and strong relationships with some of the country’s leading corporates and private equity groups will prove invaluable as we continue to build our institutional banking business,” said Canto.

Meanwhile, Cristobal, who reports to VP Editha N. Young, will be part of the team handling the project implementation of the new Core Banking System, expected to significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of customer servicing.  Cristobal will also be responsible for managing the Bank’s general ledger system.  

Cristobal’s banking and IT experience spans 29 years.  She had served in various capacities in Far East Bank, BPI, RCBC, and Export Bank, handling trading, investment, portfolio management business analysis, process review, credit policy, risk management, and project management for IT/systems requirements. She gained greater specialization in project management when she worked for some of the leading IT solutions providers. Prior to joining the Bank, Cristobal handled the planning and implementation of Financial Architects’ IT marketing and sales strategies for their customer banks in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Australia.

“We are glad to have Cristy on board.  Her well-rounded background in the banking industry, both from the business and IT perspectives, will very helpful in the achievement of the team's goals,” said Young.

Chua and Cristobal’s appointment is in line with China Bank’s higher growth projections—the Bank is pursuing its expansion plan which calls for 400 branches by 2014. In April, two new executives came on board: Victor O. Martinez, first vice president for Corporate Banking and Ma. Victoria G. Pantaleon, assistant vice president and area head for Private Banking Group.  China Bank almost doubled its branch network size in the last five years; accordingly, hiring was accelerated to complement the continued growth. From 4,632 employees in 2011, China Bank and its subsidiaries, including PCCI, China Bank Savings, and China Bank Insurance Brokers, now have a total of 4,762 officers and staff as of this writing.