Herbert Sy Business and Family Business
Who is Herbert Sy
Herbert Sy is a Filipino business executive widely known as the “Supermarket King” of the Sy family. As one of the six children of SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr., he plays a central role in shaping the Philippines’ modern grocery and food retail landscape.
While his wealth is anchored in the broader SM Group empire, Herbert Sy’s professional identity is defined by his hands-on leadership of the group’s supermarket and food retail businesses for more than three decades. Unlike some of his siblings who pursued independent ventures outside SM, Herbert built his legacy by scaling, professionalizing, and future-proofing the group’s grocery operations nationwide.
What is Herbert Sy Business
| Business Name / Role | Industry | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Supervalue, Inc. (SM Supermarket) | Food Retail / Supermarkets | Chairman. Oversees the SM Supermarket chain, the group’s core grocery brand located in SM malls nationwide. |
| Super Shopping Market, Inc. (SM Hypermarket) | Large-Format Retail | Chairman. Leads the hypermarket format combining groceries and general merchandise, targeting high-volume urban and provincial markets. |
| Sanford Marketing Corp. (Savemore Market) | Neighborhood Grocery Retail | Chairman. Heads the group’s fastest-growing grocery chain focused on residential communities and secondary cities. |
| Alfamart Trading Philippines | Convenience Retail | Director. Represents SM Group interests in the joint venture with Indonesia’s Alfamart, which has expanded to 1,500+ stores nationwide. |
| SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) | Conglomerate / Holding Company | Adviser to the Board. Provides strategic direction to the Philippines’ largest conglomerate. |
| China Banking Corporation (Chinabank) | Banking & Finance | Director. Represents the family’s interests in the country’s first privately owned commercial bank. |
| Far Eastern University (FEU) | Education | Holds a personal stake and board-level interest, reflecting diversification into education outside retail. |
What is Herbert Sy Family Business
| Business / Sector | Managed By | Details |
|---|---|---|
| SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) | Sy Family | Holding company of the entire SM Group. Herbert owns approximately 7.035%, making him one of the largest individual shareholders. |
| SM Prime Holdings, Inc. | Sy Family | Property arm covering SM Supermalls, SMDC (residential), offices, and hotels. Herbert has served as Director since 1994 and holds about 2.3% ownership. |
| Banking – BDO Unibank | Teresita Sy-Coson | The Philippines’ largest bank and the group’s main banking arm. |
| Retail & Specialty Stores | SM Group | Includes The SM Store, Ace Hardware, Watsons, Toy Kingdom, and Uniqlo Philippines. |
| Infrastructure & Logistics | SM Group | Encompasses 2GO Group, Airspeed, and a 30% stake in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). |
| Hospitality & Conventions | SM Hotels & Conventions Corp. | Operates Conrad Manila, Radisson Blu Cebu, and SMX Convention Centers nationwide. |
Beyond their core ventures, Herbert Sy Business and Family Business portfolio may include smaller enterprises or investments – reflecting their extensive entrepreneurial legacy.
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