How life is better—a banker’s perspective

‘I would personally choose now over then,’ says RCBC Capital Corporation president and CEO Buzzie Ona when asked, in celebration of the Manila Bulletin’s 125th anniversary, whether or not we have made this world a better place

I belong to Generation X, and I have been an investment banker since I graduated from university in the early 1990s. For more than 30 years, I have been a witness to the evolution of the industry, and I would say that today is better than yesterday. There are pluses and minuses of course, but overall net, I would personally choose now over then.

Today’s bankers are more environmentally conscious than ever before. We now pay attention to what projects we finance, whether they are good for the environment or not. To cite an example, most major banks nowadays prefer to fund renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar facilities, and try to avoid the traditional coal-fired plants. 

Investment bankers, rightly or wrongly, have been oftentimes described as materialistic and self-centered. It may have been somewhat true in the past, but not anymore.

Bankers now are more socially conscious and, I believe, hold themselves to higher ethical standards. Socially responsible banking is a great way of keeping both the pursuit for profit and one’s value system aligned while making a positive social impact. Sustainability is no longer thought of as “nice to have,” rather, as a “must have.”

Investment bankers, rightly or wrongly, have been oftentimes described as materialistic and self-centered. It may have been somewhat true in the past, but not anymore. There is now a conscious emphasis on diversity, equality, and inclusion. 

It is not all about just making money anymore.