Fabian S. Dee, 62, stands as one of the country’s most respected banking leaders, serving as President and CEO of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank), the country’s premier universal bank. Recognized by financial experts as both the Best Corporate Bank and the Strongest Bank in the Philippines, Metrobank has flourished under his guidance, achieving consistent growth, operational excellence, and a forward-looking approach to digital transformation. Dee’s leadership reflects not only financial acumen but a deep commitment to people, talent development, and the communities the bank serves.
A seasoned banker with more than 38 years of experience, Dee’s career began in the mid-1980s in corporate and commercial banking at Insular Bank of Asia and America and Philippine Commercial International Bank. He later served as an account officer at Union Bank and held senior roles at Security Bank, including heading its treasury and middle-market groups. In 2000, he joined Metrobank to lead the bank’s largest business center, quickly establishing himself as a transformative leader. He advanced to head the Account Management Group, then the National Branch Banking Sector, where he successfully expanded the bank’s footprint in retail banking. In April 2012, he was appointed President and CEO of Metrobank, a position from which he has guided the bank through a period of sustained growth, innovation, and resilience.
Throughout his tenure, Dee has emphasized strengthening the bank’s fundamentals, expanding its business, and fostering a culture of operational excellence. He has overseen the growth of Metrobank’s assets, loans, and deposits while maintaining one of the lowest non-performing loan ratios in the industry. He has championed digital transformation initiatives, such as the Metrobank Operations Support Engine and Metrobank Business Online Solutions, which have dramatically improved customer experience and operational efficiency. At the same time, he has placed a strong emphasis on talent development, ensuring a steady pipeline of leaders who embody the bank’s principles of integrity, client focus, and innovation.
Beyond Metrobank, Dee has held numerous leadership roles across the Philippine financial sector. He served as Chairman and Director of Metrobank Card Corporation for fourteen years, chaired Metro Remittance Singapore, LGU Guarantee Corporation, and SMBC Metro Investment Corporation, and currently serves as President of BancNet, the country’s electronic banking network. In 2024, he was appointed Vice Chairman of First Metro Investment Corporation. Dee has also been a longtime director of the Bankers Association of the Philippines and a trustee of the Metrobank Foundation, reflecting his commitment to both industry leadership and social development.
Dee holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University, a foundation that combines analytical rigor with strategic insight—a combination that has informed his approach to banking throughout his career. He is known for his thoughtful, steady, and approachable leadership style, valuing integrity, collaboration, and long-term thinking. Anecdotes from colleagues and peers highlight his ability to balance careful risk management with a willingness to embrace innovation, particularly in digital banking, and his belief that banking is as much about people as it is about numbers.
His contributions have earned him wide recognition, including being named Best Bank CEO in the Philippines by TAB Global in 2025, an acknowledgment of his visionary leadership in strengthening fundamentals, cultivating talent, and driving Metrobank’s digital transformation. Under his guidance, Metrobank has consistently been recognized as the Best Managed Bank in the country.
Outside of his professional life, Dee is deeply family-oriented and guided by values of integrity, diligence, and service.
He often draws parallels between nurturing strong family relationships and cultivating a resilient, ethical corporate culture. Through his decades-long career, Fabian S. Dee has shaped Metrobank into not only a financial powerhouse but a forward-looking institution that balances growth, stability, and societal impact, embodying the qualities of a true steward of Philippine banking.
