Hans Sy feted as MAP 2025 ‘Management Person of the Year’
Business tycoon Hans Sy won the prestigious Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) 2025 “Management Person of the Year” award for his contributions to environmental stewardship, social inclusion and economic growth.
Sy, chair of China Banking Corp. and SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s executive committee, is the 49th recipient of the award overall, and the third in the Sy family.
His father, SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr., was awarded in 1999, while his sister, SM Investments Corp. vice chair Teresita Sy-Coson, received the award in 2016.
Hans’ appointment was approved by MAP members during their general membership meeting on Wednesday.
In selecting Sy as this year’s awardee, MAP said judges had recognized his role in establishing SM Prime as a “benchmark for sustainable and resilient urban development.”
While he stepped down as president in 2016, Hans was able to grow SM Prime into one of the largest property development firms in Southeast Asia, with its portfolio now including 88 local shopping malls spanning more than 9.4 million square meters. It has likewise developed at least 186,000 residential units.
He is likewise feted for allowing more access to quality education and “athletic excellence” in his capacity as chair of the National University (NU), which the SM Group acquired in 2008.
Since then, NU has grown to 12 campuses and affiliate schools, with more than 70,000 students enrolled.
Apart from this, MAP highlighted his efforts to personally support vulnerable children through CHILD Haus, a temporary shelter for children with cancer. Henry Sy Sr. was among the major supporters of CHILD Haus through various donations.
The conferment of the award will be on Nov. 24.
Other awardees in recent years were former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson (2024), Jollibee Foods Corp. CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong (2023) and DMCI Holdings Inc. chair and president Isidro Consunji (2022).
MAP likewise announced the election of its board of governors for 2026 to 2027, including BPI Wealth president and CEO Maria Theresa Marcial, DITO CME president and COO Donald Patrick Lim, SKAL Makati International chair and former Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. vice chair Rafael Alunan III.
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