Meet the sterling chief of the SM Group

ELIZABETH SY

The strength of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) as a company lies not only in having a competent workforce, established processes and a clearly defined mission statement.

It also rests on having a woman leader like SMHCC president Elizabeth Sy, whose empathetic management approach inspires the rest of the team to do their best.

Sy lends a listening ear, an open mind and an understanding perspective to her work. Her leadership style is ultimately focused on others. It is about guiding them toward a direction that will allow them to find their purpose and “reason for being” in the workplace.

Her intent is to unite and not divide, to find remedies and not faults, and more importantly, to influence others positively. With such a positive and encouraging kind of leadership, employees are empowered to produce optimistic results.

SMHCC, established in April 2008 to handle the development and management of the hotel and convention properties of SM Prime Holdings Corp., has thus become one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia.

Under Sy’s leadership, SMHCC has grown rapidly from just having two hotels and one convention center in 2008 into a network of 10 hotels and six convention centers today.

These are Conrad Manila, Lanson Place Mall of Asia, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, Taal Vista Hotel, Pico Sands Hotel and Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in Davao, Clark, Iloilo, Bacolod, and North Edsa; and convention centers in Manila, Davao, Taguig, Bacolod, Olongapo and Clark.

With revenge travel in full swing, Sy is intent on doubling the group’s portfolio of properties across the country in the next five years, complementing government targets to increase the revenues of the local tourism and hospitality sector.

Sy, who is regarded as a visionary in the SM Group, intends to expand the SMHCC footprint to cover more areas around the country and solidify its position as the country’s leading hotels and convention company, a catalyst for communities’ growth and a champion of sustainability.

For instance, since 2019, the hotels and convention centers’ greenhouse gas emissions have gone down by as much as 40 percent. They have also reduced food waste, cut energy use and recycled water and plastics.

At the same time, SMHCC is proud to hire mainly from the communities around its assets while supporting 1,637 micro, small, and medium enterprises. It has also made a conscious effort to incorporate local ingredients and products into its food and beverage offerings.

These are reflections of the values that Sy holds dear and wants to keep in place as her group increases its presence in the vibrant hospitality sector.

It is also a source of pride for Sy that SMHCC is a place where women can thrive.

As of the latest count, close to 60 percent of its executive positions are occupied by women, while 51 percent of managers and senior managers are also women—no doubt driven by Sy’s sterling example. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao INQ