The media industry has its highs and lows, and Christopher “Chris” Sy is no stranger to this. He has held top positions in prominent entertainment companies one after the other. A graduate of BS Economics at The Wharton School, Chris also earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing in 1994 at the Columbia Business School.

His entrance to the corporate world of mass media started with his stint at EMI Music as a financial project manager. He moved to Sony Music Entertainment for two years and later shifted to the film business through United International Pictures as its general manager. He came back to EMI Music as the managing director of its Philippine arm, now known as PolyEast Records, and helmed it from 2003 to 2008. During this time, notable solo artists and rock bands from the said label dominated the charts; these included the likes of Sugarfree, Hale, Bamboo, and many more.

He moved to the television business, most notably as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Viva Entertainment for seven years. During this time, the media giant entered a partnership with RTL-CBS Asia Entertainment Network. This enabled VIVA to distribute on cable channels top-class content like The X Factor USA, Entertainment Tonight, and other shows in HD format.

Now, Chris is the managing director position of Columbia Pictures Philippines, which distributes Hollywood blockbusters to Philippine theatres, most notably films from the James Bond, Resident Evil, and Spider-Man franchises. In 2017, the news of Columbia Pictures Philippines picking up the independent film of Cannes winner Jaclyn Jose entitled, Patay na si Hesus, was positively received far and wide. This is backed by Chris’ new vision for the said company, which is to be more supportive of local films.