By: Naiia Lajoie Shyla “Shy” Tan is a formidable human being. In 2000, she founded her own packaging business in the Philippines – a feat unheard of for not only a Filipino, but a woman. The sector is typically dominated by Chinese men, which is still the case, given fellow company owners are Chinese males. Her suppliers are also Chinese men; however, she earned their respect through her work ethic, by never bouncing a check and always paying on time. Her clients, predominantly Japanese male CEOs, hail from a culture that still believe women are inferior to men. This made securing a meeting with them even more difficult. It took 5 years just for her to completely gain their trust. But “That’s what I’m good at,” she beams, having entered the industry back when she was just 25 years old. Now she deals with decorated companies such as Epson, Toshiba, Hitachi, and Fujitsu. “I am proud to say that I have established my name as one of the few female CEOs who has built trust with these strong male CEOs.” With the promise of delivering quality products, Shy earned her stripes in the Chinese businessmendominated sector, the Philippines’ world of packaging materials including paper, foam, bubble wrap, and tape among other items. The journey was not without its hardships, she admits, having been looked down upon by her male counterparts. Still, equipped with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Computer Science, her resilience landed her the current role as CEO of Shichi Philippines Packaging Corporation and a stockholder of Unifiber Philippines as well as Palazzo Verde. Local government units in the province of Laguna have bestowed numerous accolades based on her corporate social responsibility efforts. Moreover, her endeavors extend into philanthropy as well, having been...... Read more on Full Issue!