Union Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Ana Maria Aboitiz Delgado has earned a place on Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen 2026 list, putting a Philippine banking executive among 20 women leaders shaping businesses across the region.
Forbes cited Delgado’s leadership during the integration of Citibank’s Philippine consumer banking business, a major undertaking that expanded UnionBank’s retail banking operations. She assumed the bank’s top post in January 2025, more than two decades after joining as a management trainee in 2003.
“Banking should be easier, more relevant, and more human,” Delgado told Forbes, offering a glimpse of the customer-focused approach she wants the bank to pursue.
Her inclusion comes as Philippine banks face pressure to modernize services, deepen digital adoption and compete for customers whose expectations are increasingly shaped by technology-led financial platforms.
The 2026 roster, which Forbes said is unranked, spans 12 countries and territories and covers banking, technology, healthcare, retail, renewable energy and manufacturing. It brings together entrepreneurs, professional executives and leaders of family-owned businesses.
The other honorees are Ananya Birla, Lanny Budiati, Jessica Chang, Vivian Cheung, Naruechon Dhumrongpiyawut, Kim Kyung-ah, Arathi Krishna, Mira Kulkarni, Lee Sun-jung, Malina Ngai, Peng Li, Yuko Seimei, Nerine Tan Sheik Ping, Thapanee Techajareonvikul, Audrey Tsai, Kathy Vincent, Wang Xin, Wong Sze Keed and Kaga Yanagisawa.
Forbes noted that four honorees lead companies supplying infrastructure for the artificial intelligence boom, while another four are taking beauty and retail brands into international markets. Others are building businesses in industries traditionally dominated by men.
The list reflects the breadth of leadership reshaping Asia’s corporate landscape, from technology and manufacturing to consumer services. Delgado’s recognition places Philippine banking in that wider regional conversation, with the UnionBank chief now tasked with translating a major acquisition and integration into sustained growth.
