Tessie Sy-Coson, guest speaker at the recent “Ladies Who Lunch: The BusinessWorld Female Forum,�? appears to be pursuing her mission relentlessly. I met Tessie way back in 1991 when J. Walter Thompson first handled then still-to-be-launched SM Megamall and my team in account management was strategizing what was to be the first advertising salvo into the brand-new exciting world of malling in the Philippines.

There was this impressive simplicity about Tessie that was disarming. While there was what seemed to be an unending beehive of activities swirling about us, she seemed totally unperturbed, following her own pace – unhurried but not lackadaisical, spirited but not overly rushed.

At the very end of the campaign development, our small team would present to Mr. Henry Sy, for the all-important imprimatur and final approval. We all felt the palpable air of respect between father and daughter. And perhaps also because of this, our meetings were markedly devoid of tension, each catering to the highest expectations of the other.

Over the years, Tessie had J. Walter Thompson called to handle two more separate advertising campaigns. During both times, we would only meet with her. The woman had long evolved to be her own person, most comfortable, as the saying goes, in her own skin.

Scanning the weekend broadsheets, I recently chanced upon a picture of Tessie as president of SM, Inc. receiving the Philippine Retailer of the Year Award in Singapore. The citation came from Retail Asia, a prestigious Singapore-based publication, and its program partners Euromonitor International, KPMG International, and Visa International. I learned that the award to SM was made even more significant because SM had been the grand awardee for the third consecutive year.

Tessie was shown receiving the trophy, wearing what appeared to be her signature attire: a suit or a blazer over a colored shirt. She’s oftentimes devoid of jewelry, and in “Ladies Who Lunch�? she explained matter-of-factly that jewelry would simply get in the way of functionality: earrings would go against her receiving telephone calls effortlessly; bracelets and rings hinder ease of writing.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Tessie Sy-Coson knows the incalculable value of imaging for the world’s retail companies and the brands they sell. But you can’t argue with the fact that the lady isn’t one for imaging on a personal level. I liked the way SM vice-president for marketing Millie Dizon expressed it: when you are simple, you have no baggage within your person. You have freer movement. Hence, the simple person
is capable of more depth.

Depth, Tessie has proven over and over again, even as the opening of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City last year “redefined shopping center and retail standards in the Philippines.�? Yet, in all the dazzle of her achievements, which according to Steven HL Goh, chairman of the awards committee, testify to her business acumen, her entrepreneurship, and her capability in forging a compelling value proposition to her customers, she chooses to remain in the background. Call it humility that springs from
within.

Recently, I was invited to meet a client in one of the newly opened restaurants within SM Megamall. Arriving almost an hour early, I found myself attending Holy Mass at the much talked-about chapel at the topmost floor of the mall. The beautiful chapel was surprisingly full, considering that it was a Monday. I recognized Tessie’s mother as one of the attendees at mass. Something about her grabbed my attention. One sensed her commitment to her faith. No fuss, no frills. Much like her daughter, I thought to myself.