Leading the Future of Banking – Colleen Toledo
By: Neil Nepomuceno
With almost eight years of experience, Colleen Toledo is a familiar face in the Bank because of her passion to drive change and drive the transformation of the Bank’s digital products and services forward.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she’s been a banker ever since. After leaving her first job as a risk analyst for an international bank, she joined UnionBank in 2013 as a LEAD Management Trainee.
The LEAD Management Program is UnionBank’s career track for the country’s top universities’ cream of the crop. During her time as a LEAD MT, she got to experience and was immerse in the different processes of the Bank; from Sales to Branch Services, until she was assigned to the Customer Experience Group.
“It was really like a rollercoaster ride at that point because we did not know what it would mean for us when we transform.”
That brought Colleen at the forefront of the Bank’s digital transformation as the Project Manager where she and her team were involved in many strategic projects, including the Enterprise Architecture (EA), that served as the backbone of the Bank’s digital transformation journey and still being used today.
“We worked with consultants, and it was the shortest yet busiest time because of the nature of the project.” Said Colleen.
“That was my first project that was not system-related, meaning the output of it wasn’t a platform or software. It was a project to develop the blueprint of our digital transformation now,” she added.
Following the success of the EA, Colleen once again proved that she could turn ideas into reality by establishing The Bank’s customer relationship management (CRM) solution called Salesforce, which helped better understand customers, leading to better strategic decisions.
“It’s not enough that a project is correct on paper, but in reality, people in the ground are struggling to use it, and they didn’t see the value right away.”
As a Project Manager, her excellence at work became more noticeable, which led to another project involving UnionBank App’s Digital Account Opening Feature. This served as her gateway to UnionBank Online as she sees how the developers, CX Designers work and worked with CX Designers in distinguished customer experience.
Colleen joined UB Online in 2019 and was involved in many vital projects. She was there when the UnionBank App launched the ability to accept UB Checks back in August 2019 and in February 2020, right before the lockdowns happen, Colleen and her team managed to launch the Mobile Check Deposit feature that allows the customer to accept other Bank’s check deposits from the comfort of their homes or offices.
“It’s okay to explore and to find what brings you joy. It’s always up to you to see what opportunity will bring out the best in you.”
From being a LEAD Management Trainee to a Project Manager responsible for the Bank’s effective digital transformation, she is now a Customer Experience Designer, leading the MSME Digital Channels Team.
Colleen proves that every career decision goes a long way. After leaving her previous work and specializing in IT, she didn’t stop until she finds the most suitable place for her skills.
