Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), a role he assumed in April 2021. He leads one of the country’s oldest and largest banks, chairs key management and credit committees, and oversees BPI’s banking, asset management, insurance, and international subsidiaries. Beyond BPI, he serves as Chairman of the Bankers Association of the Philippines and Philippine Payments Management Inc., making him one of the most influential figures in Philippine banking today.
TG’s career is defined not by a straight line, but by deliberate choices to take on difficult challenges. Although he now sits at the top of the banking industry, he did not begin with a clear plan to become a banker. After earning a BS in Mathematical Sciences (Honors) from Stanford University in 1984, his first job was as a software programmer in the semiconductor industry. He later completed an MBA in Finance and Investment Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1988.
His entry into finance began with J.P. Morgan & Co. in New York, but he soon realized that he wanted to build a career—and eventually lead—back home in the Philippines. In 1989, he joined BPI as a senior manager in corporate finance, marking the start of a long relationship with the Ayala-led bank. Over the years, he would leave and return to BPI more than once, gaining international experience with J.P. Morgan in Singapore and serving briefly as the youngest Filipino country head of Barclays Bank, before the Asian financial crisis forced its regional exit.
In 1998, TG joined Ayala Corporation, where he took on a series of senior leadership roles across the group. He served as President of BPI Capital Corporation, President of BPI Family Savings Bank, and later as Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Ayala Corporation from 2015 to 2021. In recognition of his disciplined and principled leadership, he was named ING-FINEX CFO of the Year in 2018. In 2021, he returned to BPI as President and CEO, completing a full-circle journey.
Education and life skills are central to TG’s philosophy. He credits his father for instilling in him the value of education and encouraging him to pursue the most challenging path available. Although he initially studied at the University of the Philippines, he moved abroad to Stanford—a decision that pushed him far outside his comfort zone. Living alone and unknown taught him resilience, independence, and adaptability, lessons he considers more important than technical skills.
He carries these beliefs into fatherhood, advising his own children to pursue what genuinely interests them rather than chasing titles or easy careers. For TG, curiosity, analytical thinking, and the ability to communicate clearly matter more than credentials alone.
Known for his analytical mindset, TG stays focused through long-distance running and methodical problem-solving, often listing pros and cons in Excel. As his influence has grown, he has become more conscious of helping others, guided by the principle his father taught him: keep your name clean—it is the most valuable legacy you can leave behind.
Quiet, disciplined, and deeply respected, TG Limcaoco’s leadership reflects a career built on challenge, integrity, and long-term trust rather than visibility or hype.
