Digital wunderkind named global leader
A shining star in the Filinvest group is Isabelle Gotianun Yap, executive director and vice president at East West Banking Corporation, and a new-generation member of the business family with a diversified interest of the late tycoon Andrew Gotianun.
Isabelle was chosen as a member of the Young Global Leaders class of 2023 by the World Economic Forum.
The WEF’s new Young Global Leaders Class is the elite list of 100 promising political leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, game-changing researchers, and academic leaders who are accelerating progress in their communities, countries and the world. Isabelle is one of only two Filipinos chosen for the Class of 2023.
As the executive director and vice president of East West Banking Corporation, Isabelle has been instrumental in driving the digital transformation of the bank and enhancing financial services.
East West Banking Corporation is a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation or FDev, with business interests in real estate, hospitality, power generation, and other industries.
Isabelle has also been a key figure in establishing Filinvest’s innovation arm, FDev, which aims to drive innovation and transform the group’s business operations.
Among her many other projects, Isabelle dedicated her time and expertise to leading the development of Komo, one of the first fully-digital banking services in the country.
Formally launched in August 2020, Komo helped Filipinos affected by the pandemic to experience full digital 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.
Isabelle was formerly a Consultant at McKinsey & Company where she provided advisory services to clients
She will have the opportunity to participate in events organized by the World Economic Forum to share her ideas and work together with other YGLs to create positive change.
across the region.
Prior to that, she was part of the Management Associate Program with SingTel, one of Asia’s leading telcos.
Isabelle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Double Major Finance and Marketing from Singapore Management University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Community of leaders
As a YGL, Isabelle 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 World Economic Forum to share her ideas and work together with other YGLs to create positive change.
The Forum of Young Global Leaders or YGL was established by the World Economic Forum 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 and journalists.
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 the executive director and vice president of East West Banking Corporation, Isabelle has been instrumental in driving the digital transformation of the bank and enhancing financial services.