In photo: Cathy Santamaria (center), BPI Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, receives the ‘CMO of the Year’ award for her outstanding leadership in driving customer-centric innovation and strengthening BPI’s brand in the evolving digital landscape. (Photo from adobomagazine.com)
Cathy Santamaria, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), has been recognized as ‘Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the Year’ at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards, reflecting the bank’s purpose-driven marketing and customer-first innovation.
The Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards honors people, businesses, and brands that drive performance through purpose. The ‘CMO of the Year’ award is given to individuals who embody leadership and excellence in terms of business profitability and promotion of brand purpose through marketing initiatives.
“This award is more than recognition. It’s a legacy. And to everyone whose life I’ve touched—I hope I’ve brought light,” Santamaria said during her acceptance speech.
“As part of this journey, I asked my mentors, bosses, and team members to share their thoughts about my work and leadership—something I wouldn’t normally do. But this honor called for reflection. And in their words, I saw that I’ve remained true to my personal commitment: to be the best I can be, and to do good—for the greater good,” she added.
With more than 10 years at BPI, Santamaria has been instrumental in driving transformative initiatives, including spearheading the successful modernization of the bank’s customer relationship management (CRM) system, strategic rebranding effort, and marketing strategies and programs that have contributed to business growth and industry recognition.
Under her leadership, BPI achieved the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) among full-service banks in the Philippines for two consecutive years. This is a testament to the bank’s customer-obsessed culture and forward-thinking strategies.
When asked what fueled her success, Santamaria credited her team.
“To my team at BPI—you are the reason for this award. Despite every challenge, you always strive for excellence. I’m so grateful to lead and learn alongside you,” she noted.
With over 30 years of experience, Santamaria has built a distinguished career marked by vision, versatility, and meaningful impact. She began in Kraft Foods Philippines, later advancing to a regional leadership role at Kraft Foods International. She then made her mark in the telecommunications sector with Globe, where she led both prepaid and postpaid businesses. In 2011, Santamaria brought her strategic acumen to BPI, steadily rising through the ranks to her current role as Chief Customer and Marketing Officer.
Moving forward, Santamaria and her team remain committed to creating purpose-centric marketing initiatives that deliver nurturing service, integrity, customer-obsession, and excellence.
