… Is a woman. You read that right: The Management Association of the Philippines (M.A.P.) Management Man of the Year for 2016 is a woman.
Every year since 1977, and previous to that in 1967, the Management Association of the Philippines bestows the “Man of the Year” award to recognize outstanding achievements in the field of management. The award has been called the “M.A.P. Management Man of the Year” to distinguish it from other Man of the Year awards given by other bodies or organizations.
For the past five decades the M.A.P. has presented the award to recognize outstanding achievements of any individual, whether s/he be a M.A.P. member or not, who has exceptionally distinguished herself or himself in the practice of management. A quick perusal of the list of awardees through the years reads as a Who’s Who in Philippine business.
Tessie Sy-Coson is one such lady that is a welcome addition to this distinguished pantheon of sorts. And rightfully so.
As the second woman recipient after retired PEZA Director-General Lilia B. De Lima in 2010, Tessie Sy-Coson was chosen, according to the award citation, “for steering the SM Group’s retail business to greater heights with her over four decades of retail experience; for transforming the SM Group’s property business into one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia with investments in malls, residences, commercial buildings, leisure and tourism; for her valuable contribution in sustaining the BDO’s position as the leading bank in the Philippines; for her leadership role in the substantial contributions of the SM Group of companies to national development, job creation and income generation through its huge investments in real estate, banking, shopping malls, hotels, convention centers, and gaming; for strengthening the identity of companies under the SM Group as socially responsible corporate citizens through the SM Foundation’s developmental programs on education, livelihood, health and wellness, and the BDO Foundation’s programs in the areas of relief operations, education, shelter and livelihood which have improved the lives of many Filipinos all over the country; and for her contribution to re-shaping national values through her track record of integrity, professional competence, and strong leadership.”
In my mind’s eye, I had no doubt that Tessie Sy-Coson would bag the award last year, just as her father did in 1999. She would easily ace the selection process given her qualifications and achievements, considering that the process of choosing an awardee was, in itself, a daunting task that was not only very secretive but time consuming as well. The nomination and selection process was quite tedious; thus, to be named Management Man of the Year by the M.A.P. was like passing through the proverbial “eye of the needle”.
Other previous M.A.P. Management Men of the Year were Washington Sycip, Geronimo Velasco, Philex Founder Henry Brimo, Jose Soriano, Cesar Virata, Jaime Ongpin, Vicente Paterno, Dante Santos, Cesar Buenaventura, Roberto Villanueva, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Ramon del Rosario Sr., Jose Fernandez Jr., Raul Concepcion, Oscar Hilado, Alfonso Yuchengco, Juan Santos, David Consunji, Rizalino Navarro, Gabriel Singson, Delfin Lazaro, Henry Sy Sr., Oscar Lopez, Tony Tan Caktiong, Jesus Tambunting, Rafael Buenaventura, Manuel V. Pangilinan, George S.K. Ty, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, Jose Cuisia Jr., Antonio Aquino, Jesus Estanislao, Lilia de Lima, Ramon del Rosario Jr., Erramon Aboitiz, Aurelio Montinola III, Edgar Chua, Albert del Rosario, and Amando Tetangco Jr.
Worthy to note that, aside from the father-and-daughter tandem of Henry Sy Sr. and Tessie Sy-Coson as awardees, we also have the father-and-son tandem of Jaime Zobel de Ayala (1987) and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (2006), as well as Ramon del Rosario Sr. (1988) and Ramon del Rosario Jr. (2010).
As it is said, awards are awards are awards, but what matters most with these winners and all officers and men of the M.A.P. is to ensure that the lives of our countrymen are lifted from the bowels of poverty.