46
Spotlight
Eduardo N. Sison, MBM 1973
SIMPLY MR. CHAIRMAN their field—three of them graduated magna cum laude, and four of them are board topnotchers, including my wife—that’s how good they are,” Sison beams. The family business, Perez Optical, had been established in 1957 by Sison’s in-laws, Patrocinio Utchingco, MD and an ophthalmologist, and Emiliano Perez, a Cebuano Attorney-at-Law. “My wife wanted the business to grow, but she had difficulty handling the business side,” he said. To support his wife, Sison quit his job and went back to school full-time for three years to become a Doctor of Optometry. was also carrying a stick and his booming After graduating with his third degree, Sison voice startled many of us! I wondered then rolled up his sleeves and took over the manif all AIM professors were like him,” he agement of Perez Optical as General Manchuckles. “It so happened that Prof. Roman ager. While Primitiva handles the marketing was substituting for a professor who couldn’t and clinical service aspects, Sison is in attend just the first day.” charge of operations and management. The Life at AIM was more than a culture husband and wife partnership has enabled shock for Sison. “I had problems in school Perez Optical to bloom from two branches to because studying at AIM was quite hard. seven as of this writing. Although I was good in college, I had a The optometry business is apparently difficult time adjusting to the case method,” ingrained even in their brood. “I have three he shares. Studying until 2:00 am and the children—my eldest boy, Ronald Mervin, took pressure of class participation took its toll up optometry and graduated board topnotchand Sison suffered from migraine for many er like my wife,” Sison shares. Mervin also has weeks. “I lived through a schedule that I had a Master in Entrepreneurship degree from the never done before. You had to participate Asian Institute of Management, and placed in class—you had to discuss cases. In col6th in the 2009 Optometry board licensure lege, your grade comes mainly from exams. examination. Second child James Edward Most of us in class were the top students in is a DPA certified licensed Optometrist, college and everyone was really good. I was having garnered 9th place in the Optometry below the level because of the adjustment board examination back in 1999. He is also period.” Second year was somewhat easier a licensed physician and a diplomate in ocfor Sison though, as he had already adjusted cupational medicine. His focus is on Primary to the AIM rigor. Staying at the dorm for two Eye Care. But the apple of Sison’s eye is his years, he is grateful to his roommate, Bobby unica hija, youngest daughter Dianne Carla, a member of the Dean’s List in her last term, Atendido for his support and friendship. who graduated last December 2012 as part of “In the end, we survived,” he smiles. AIM MBA Cohort 7. “One of the great things about my being a Chairman of AAAIM is that Expanding the Family Business I was able to see my daughter at the campus Sison went back to corporate life after whenever I was in AIM,” Sison laughs. graduating from AIM in 1973. On February 14, 1974, his neighbor set him up with a blind date for Valentine ’s Day, and his date, As Chairman of AAAIM As a member of the class of MBM ’73, Primitiva, became his wife on November of Sison shares the secret of their irrefutable that same year. “My wife comes from a family of seven “Simply Mr. Chairman” cont. on page 56 >> optometrists and they are all very good in
Extremely self-effacing and modest, the current Chairman of the Alumni Association of AIM, Philippine Chapter (AAAIM), Mr. Eduardo Sison had to beg off so many times before this interview finally took place. “Editor-in-Chief Greg (Atienza) threatened to close the AIMLeader magazine if I didn’t agree to this interview,” he laughs. A devoted family man, Sison spent almost half of the interview time talking about his wife and three kids. “I am a very simple person,” he shares sincerely. Perhaps his ingrained simplicity finds its roots in Sampaloc, Manila where the young Sison grew up. Bright and unpretentious, Sison found his way to the National University (NU) where he graduated cum laude with an Engineering degree in the late 1960’s. “At that time, the College of Engineering and Architecture at NU were looked up to as the prime movers of the school. I was proud to be a part of that college,” he said. “I even served as the President of the Student Council in my senior year. But in spite of that, I still did not consider myself that good.” After college, Sison worked for an American firm for three years when his older sister egged him to take the entrance exam at the Asian Institute of Management in 1971—which he took on the very last day. Sison was also fortunate to have received a tuition subsidy from Engineering Equipment Inc. (EEI). “I now feel that my sister’s encouragement was really very good. Even if I was hesitant at first, I learned that AIM was at its peak at that time. Out of the 163, only 111 graduated which represents about a 30% dropout,” he said. “There were so many applicants so the quality of those accepted was very high—we also had a lot of who’s who in the case room. You could imagine the competition in class!” Sison recalls an amusing memory about his very first day at AIM. “Frankie Roman was the first professor who entered our room. And I was shocked because he was wearing a see-through Barong Tagalog with a T-shirt and suspenders underneath. He
W O R D S B Y S usan A frica - M ani k an , M A P 2 0 0 2
|
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY JOV EL LORENZO