SMC stands out among corporate leaders

The Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) has attributed the more efficient distribution network established after Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. returned as chairman and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in 1998, along with an upturn in the company’s overseas beer business, as helping SMC keep its edge over rivals.

In its Review 200, the magazine’s annual survey on corporate leaders in the region, FEER noted that "San Miguel raced ahead, taking the No. 1 ranking for highest quality products and services for the fifth consecutive year." On a scale from one to seven on overall leadership, SMC’s 6.31 survey rating closely follows Ayala Corp.’s 6.44 and Jollibee Corp.’s 6.56.

In the survey’s other key leadership attributes, SMC placed second in both long-term vision and in "companies that others try to emulate," third in financial soundness; and fourth in innovation in responding to customer needs.

Analyzing the survey conducted by the prestigious AC Nielsen International Research (Hong Kong), the magazine observed that the art of selling the basics has become the cornerstone of many balance sheets in the Philippines, and that SMC is one of two local consumer-oriented firms that has stood out.

Review 200, published in the magazine’s Dec. 27. 2001 to Jan. 3, 2002 issue, included 208 multinational corporations and 26-39 companies in each of the 11 countries covered by the poll. The survey had close to 2,000 respondents who are subscribers of FEER and readers of its partner publications: Australia’s Business Review Weekly, Business India, and The Asian Wall Street Journal.