Chamber of Thrift Banks president Alfonso Salcedo Jr. lauded Montinola. His achievement has raised the bar of excellence in the field of financial services in the Philippines in terms of responding to the needs of the market. He has now set the standard of performance among people in the banking industry, which can inspire and help his colleagues in the chamber to perform above par.

Along with other winners from the Asian region, Montinola was conferred their leadership during the awarding ceremonies of The Asian Banker Achievement Awards 2005 in Bangkok, with former US congressman Thomas Bliley Jr. and Thailand Minister of Finance H.E. Dr. Thanong Bidaya as honored guests.

Noted for his leadership in taking BPI to a higher level of profitability that is substantially higher than its competitors, Montinola, in his acceptance speech, credited his success to the strategy "focus on the customers, focus on the people, and the business results will follow.

The award is given by the Asian Banker, the region's leading intelligence company that promotes financial services institutions. Through the prestigious award, outstanding individuals in the Asian region are recognized for their leadership tactical skills that have led to the exemplary performance of his institution.

Results of the peer review based on a total of 380 nominations received from all countries in the region and internal review research team of the Asian Banker were also considered in choosing the winners, aside from the efforts made by the awardee that exhibit his ability to apply high professional standards in response to the challenges in the fast changing marketplace.