GCash CEO Martha Sazon is among the top 25 women leaders in Financial Technology for 2022.
For playing a central role in financially empowering its nearly 70 million users, GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance app, again makes a mark on the global financial technology industry as its president and CEO, Martha Sazon was included in The Financial Technology Report’s list of top 25 women leaders in fintech.
“I’m honored to join other amazing women leaders in the Financial Technology Report’s annual list. This recognition is a testament of GCash’s positive impact on the lives of our millions of customers. It also shows that women, if given the opportunity and platform to shine, can be great leaders for various organizations especially in this increasingly more digital world,” said Sazon. “This achievement will spur us to further push the envelope in introducing more meaningful digital financial solutions and making sure nobody gets left behind in the digital economy.”
The Financial Technology Report is a New York City-based news agency covering business, investment activity, and corporate actions related to the financial technology industry. It describes itself as, “run by a seasoned team of editors, writers, and media professionals highly knowledgeable on financial technology and the various companies, executives, and investors that make up the sector.”
In an article on its website, the Financial Technology Report said, “thousands of new fintechs are launched each year, but only a small percentage demonstrate the staying power to last in such a competitive market. While many begin with truly great ideas, it takes much more to build a successful company. To make it in the long run, fintechs need to acquire financial support, get the word out through marketing, and constantly be innovating—not to mention ensuring that their operations run efficiently and that they remain in compliance with regulations. And for all of these necessities, great leaders are essential.”
Sazon was appointed as CEO of GCash at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Her focus on customer centricity resulted in GCash becoming a lifeline to millions of Filipinos during a time when many lost their jobs. Under Sazon’s leadership, GCash has become the Philippines’ first and only “duacorn,” or a company with a valuation of $2 billion. It’s also become the country’s biggest e-wallet with a registered user base of nearly 70 million.
Sazon has also doubled down on making sure GCash is able to make Filipinos’ everyday lives better enabling the fintech firm to provide meaningful digital finance solutions that empower people and organizations – helping 63% of Filipinos who are unbanked.
Prior to leading GCash, Sazon had 20 years of experience in various fast-moving consumer goods industries like food, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and telecommunications. She spent 12 years at Globe Telecom, the largest mobile network in the Philippines, where she headed the Broadband business and pioneered many breakthroughs and achievements for a wide array of products.
Previously, Sazon was also named “Philippines: CEO of the Year” at the IDC Future Enterprise Awards 2021. Earlier in 2022, she was recognized as a “Master Innovator for Digital Transformation Innovation” during the 2nd Annual Mansmith Innovation Awards and Summit.