MANILA, Philippines — On the heels of an aggressive nationwide branch banking expansion program, the Board of Directors of the Philippine Business Bank (PBB) has appointed professional banker Rolando R. Avante as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of this fast-growing thrift bank.

Avante brings with him more than 30 years of experience in treasury and operations with various local and multinational commercial banks where he served as Executive Vice President and Treasurer. Prior to joining PBB, he served for over a year as EVP & Treasurer of the Ortigas Center-based Sterling Bank of Asia, following a ten-year stint also as EVP & Treasurer of the Makati-based ChinaTrust (Phils.) Commercial Bank Corporation.

Holder of a marketing management degree from the De La Salle University, Avante also earned post-graduate units at the DLSU Business School and continues to specialize in various industry-oriented learning institutions.

Starting out as a senior treasury specialist at the Multinational Investment & Bancorporation, he also served as treasury manager of Philippine Commercial Capital, Inc., as vice president of CityTrust Banking Corporation, as SVP & Treasurer of Urban Bank and FVP of the Philippine Commercial International Bank.

Avante likewise holds a key position in the Money Market Association of the Phils. (MART) where he is a director and President of ACI Philippines, apart from being a member of the open-market committee of the Bankers Association of the Phils. (BAP) and a member of the Financial Executives Institute of the Phils. (FINEX).