Our people

Management Team

Mike Samson

Chief Executive Officer and Head of Client Coverage, Philippines

Prior to this appointment, Samson was the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Australia. Over his 28-year career, he has held leadership roles across diverse business areas including ASEAN and South Asia Corporate Finance Head for Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited and the ASEAN Regional Head for Leveraged and Structured Solutions. Samson is a highly regarded banker given his extensive banking experience, knowledge of the ASEAN markets and strong client relationship.

Rowena Kapunan

Chief Risk Officer, PH and Head of Conduct, Financial Crime & Compliance, ASEAN Cluster & PH

Kapunan joined Standard Chartered Philippines as Legal and Compliance Officer in August 2005. Over the years, she has held leadership roles in the Legal, Compliance and Assurance functions. She is currently the Chief Risk Officer and Head of Conduct Financial Crime and Compliance for the ASEAN Cluster Markets and Philippines. Prior to joining the industry, she was an associate in SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Offices.

Mari Toni Bautista

Head, Financial Markets and Head, FM Sales

Bautista joined Standard Chartered Philippines in 2019 and has more than 14 years of financial markets experience in the areas of derivatives trading, portfolio management, product development and structuring and corporates sales. She is the incumbent President of the National Association of Securities Broker Salesmen, Inc. (NASBI) and previous Board of Trustee and Vice President for Continuing Education of the CFA Society Philippines.

Kathleen Charmaine Hernandez

Head, Transaction Banking

Huang-Hernandez joined the bank in 2002 as an International Graduate. Since then, she has held various roles as Customer Service Head, Relationship Manager and Transaction Banking Sales for Corporates. She is currently the Cash Product Head and Head of Transaction Banking Philippines.

Diana Ilagan

Chief Financial Officer

Ilagan joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2016 based in Singapore and moved to Philippines in 2022. Prior to this, she has held roles spanning across diverse business areas such as Financial Markets, Transaction Banking, Asset Management, and Private Banking & Wealth Management. She is a Chartered Finance Analyst (CFA) and is a member of CFA Institute Singapore.

Ma. Christina Goco

Chief Technology and Operations Officer

Goco has over 25 years of banking experience and has held various leadership roles in the areas of Operations, Transaction Banking, Product Management and Information Technology. Prior to her CIO and COO roles, Goco was posted in Vietnam and Singapore as Standard Chartered Bank’s Transaction Banking Head and Transaction Banking Sales Head, respectively.

Janice Tajan-Ko

Head, Legal

Tajan-Ko received her Juris Doctor (1999) from the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila Law School and received her Master of Laws (2003) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is qualified to practice law both in the Philippines and the State of New York.

Mai Gacilo Sangalang

Head, Corporate Affairs and Brand & Marketing

Prior to joining Standard Chartered Bank in 2015, Sangalang has held leadership positions in some of the biggest local and international banks. She has extensive experience in the areas of Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, Brand Management, Marketing Services, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Sangalang is the incumbent President of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP).

Frida Torres

Head, Human Resources

Torres has more than 18 years of experience in Human Resources and has assumed various roles in Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Talent Management, International Mobility and HR operations. She took on a regional role and worked for four years in the UK prior to joining the bank.

Masayuki Fujimoto

Country Technology Manager

Fujimoto has been with the bank for 16 years, and brings with him an extensive experience in Technology Governance, Operations, Risk Management, Information & Cyber Security, and Digital Transformation within the banking industry. Prior to joining Standard Chartered Bank Philippines, he was posted in Japan where he led the Services and Solutions, and Technology Services functions.

Hannah Nunez

Head, Financing Securities Services

Nunez has more than 20 years of work experience in the financial markets with exposure in business, product and relationship management, operations and sales for securities services including administration of exchanges and clearing houses. She has an extensive network in the Philippines market having strong relationships with securities regulators and intermediaries. She has lobbied for various market advocacies related to the capital markets representing offshore and domestic clients.

Benjilyn Joanino

Head of Audit

Joanino joined Standard Chartered Philippines in 2013 and had led various audit engagements across the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. She started her career as an external auditor and has held roles in auditing and operational risk management in other financial institutions.

View our Brokers/Dealers Team