About

Washington SyCip earned a BSc and an MSc in commerce with highest honors from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.

Soon after passing the CPA exam at age 18, he came to Columbia for postgraduate work. After passing the oral examination for his PhD, his dissertation was interrupted by World War II. He served with the Philippine Regiment of the US Army and the US Army Air Force in the China-Burma-India theater.

Mr. SyCip returned to the Philippines, where he founded an accounting and consulting firm. The firm grew rapidly and established offices in all the developing nations of East Asia.

One of the original signatories of the document establishing the International Federation of Accountants, Mr. SyCip served as federation president from 1982 to 1985. In 1968, he cofounded the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines and has since served as chairman of its board of trustees and board of governors. He was the first chairman of the Euro-Asia Center of INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Mr. SyCip was vice chairman of the Conference Board in New York and is a member of the international advisory boards of American International Group and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He was also on the international advisory boards of Chase Bank, Caterpillar, United Technologies, Owens-Illinois, AT&T, and other international companies. He is also on the boards of many major Philippine and Asian companies.

On August 2, 2006, the Federal Republic of Germany conferred on Mr. SyCip the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit (Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse). He received the 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. He was named to the Philippine Legion of Honor, degree of commander, in 1991. He was named Officer First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by the King of Sweden in 1987 and awarded the Star of the Order of Merit by the Republic of Austria in 1976.

He is married to the former Anna Yu. They have three children and seven grandchildren.