Teresita Sy-Coson to Give Rare Talk at “Giants of the Game: Secrets of Game Changing Entrepreneurs”
Teresita Sy-Coson to Give Rare Talk
Find out what it’s like to be in the shoes of Teresita Sy-Coson as she shares her secrets to success and valuable life lessons she has acquiredthrough years of experience in their family business. Have the rare opportunity to meet and learn from Tessie herself and some of the top Filipino-Chinese businessmen at the business forum organized by the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (AYFCE) that is set on November 8, Friday at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-la Hotels.
The event titled “Giants of the Game: Secrets of Game Changing Entrepreneurs” will feature some of the Philippines’ top business tycoons to impartvaluable information on topics such as product and service development, efficient operations processes, creation of effective business models and other necessary management and entrepreneurial tools to build a strong foundation for a progressive business enterprise.
Invited resource speakers for the Summit include: Teresita Sy-Coson, vice chairperson for SM Investments Corp. (SMIC); David Lim, president of Solidgroup (Myphone); Edward Lee, chairman and founder of COL Financial (former Citisec Online); Cecilio Pedro, founder of Lamoiyan Corp. makers of Hapee Toothpaste; Martin Lorenzo, chairman and chief-executive-officer, Pancake House Inc.; Johnlu Koa, founder and chief-executive-officer of French Baker and Chatime; and RJ David, co-founder and managing director of Sulit.com.ph.
Learning by Example from Teresita Sy-Coson
Experience is the best teacher, to this Teresita Sy-Coson strongly agrees. Named by Forbes as one of Asia’s Top 50 Power Businesswomen in 2012, entrepreneurs the world over see her as an inspiration with beliefs strongly anchored on hard work, determination, pursuing every opportunity and couple it with hard work and arm one’s self with the knowledgeto further the business.
SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) vice chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson has earned her own mark in Philippine business. Teresita Sy-Coson maybe the eldest daughter of Henry Sy, the country’s richest man, as cited in Forbes Magazine’s Top 10 Richest in the Philippines, but she rose above expectations of merely being a scion of a reigning Philippine family-owned conglomerate.
Tessie is often referred to in the media as her father’s heir apparent. However, Teresita Sy-Coson never seemed comfortable with such title. She gained the industry’s respect for her contributions in the family business. She is currently the head of two business units that contribute the most earnings to SMIC. First, she’s on top of SM’s retail operations, which dominates the Philippines largest and most profitable department stores chains. Second, she is chairperson of Banco de Oro Unibank, wherein SMIC owned majority stocks. It could be remembered it was Tessie, who led the BDO group in the acquisition of Equitable Bank in one of the biggest mergers in the banking history of the Philippines.Today, SMIC’s core businesses include retail, mall operations, banking and property development.
Looking back as early as age five, Teresita Sy-Coson was exposed to doing errands with her maternal grandfather, who tagged her along whenever the later transacted with banks. At eight-years-old, she was taught to be observant of the buying patterns of shoppers in their small shoe store in downtown Manila. When she turned 13, she started to formally begin her training in the family store. Straight from school, she would go to the store and sold shoes along with the other sales staff. She liked catering, of course, to children and teens her age.
Her father Henry and wife Felicidad Tan Sy, according to Filipino-Chinese writer Wilson Lee Flores, have trained Tessie and her other siblings Hans, Elizabeth, Henry Jr., Herbert and Harley to perform well in business. Flores, further added, theSychildren were provided with the best education and were not spoiled despite their parents’ business success. Growing up in the Sy household meant being raised in the values and principles espoused by the respected taipan, whose humble beginnings the family shared. Tessie continues to draw from these values, passing them on to her own three children from her late husband, Chinese lumber tycoon Louis Coson.
Tessie eventually became the one to oversee the growth of the business that includes SM Department Stores, SM Supermarkets and other retail affiliates of about 300 stores and counting. If insiders in SM are to be believed, Henry has always been the visionary, while Tessie has the ability to follow through that vision. Her hands-on leadership enabled the elder Sy to pursue new ventures. Likewise, whenever the taipan is not around, Tessie has the blessings to make the final decisions.
With the success of the business came the recognition of the industry, last year the SM Retail Group was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Retail Asia’s Asia Pacific Top 500 Awards. This was after being awarded the Best of the Best Award for three consecutive years.
It isn’t surprising as well that her management proficiency earned her various recognitions, such as The Asian Banker Award for Women in Financial Services and the Asian Banker Leadership Award. She was also awarded the prestigious Retail Banker of the Year by The Asian Banker in Singapore. In 2012, she graced the cover of Forbes Asia magazine when she made it to list of Asia’s Power Businesswomen. She was also appointed member of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council representing the Philippines.
Learn more from Teresita Sy-Coson at the Entrepreneurs’ Summit together with other business experts.
To register for the seminar, please contact the AYFCE Secretariat at telephone number 726-7029.
