Security Bank Chief Financial Officer JD Yap has been named one of four co-chairs of the newly launched East Asia and Pacific Regional Chapter of the SME Finance Forum, giving the Philippines a seat at the table in regional efforts to expand financing for micro, small, and medium enterprises.
The SME Finance Forum is a global network established by the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, that brings together financial institutions and other stakeholders to advance financing solutions for small businesses.
Yap’s appointment highlights his experience in SME banking and reinforces Security Bank’s focus on supporting entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
Before becoming CFO, Yap led Security Bank’s Business Banking Segment, where he strengthened the bank’s MSME franchise and expanded financing and other services for Filipino businesses at various stages of growth.
“MSMEs are the backbone of economies across the region, and supporting entrepreneurs has long been a priority for Security Bank,” Yap said.
The new role will allow Yap to bring Philippine perspectives into regional discussions while drawing on practices from other markets, he said.
“This role provides an opportunity to bring Philippine perspectives to the table, learn from peers across East Asia and the Pacific, and help advance practical solutions that enable small businesses to grow and innovate,” Yap said.
Yap will serve alongside Regzedmaa Bayar of Mongolia’s Khan Bank, Sumit Khurana, senior vice president for SME Business, Asia Pacific at Mastercard, and Shrikant Patil, CEO and managing director of Singapore-based risk intelligence platform DigiAlly.
As co-chairs, the four executives will help shape the regional chapter’s priorities and encourage collaboration among members.
Key areas will include digital finance, supply chain finance, sustainable finance, and emerging solutions designed to address the evolving needs of MSMEs.
For Security Bank, the appointment extends its SME strategy beyond domestic lending, placing the bank in a broader regional conversation over how technology, finance, and collaboration can help smaller businesses scale.
