Constantly Redefining the Filipino Retail Landscape: CEO Awards Honoree Ben Chan 

Bench Founder and CEO Ben Chan is being honored for his contributions to Philippine retail at the CEO Awards 2025.

Ben Chan, Founder and CEO of Bench, has elevated the standards for fashion retail in the Philippines. Bench has become both a well-loved homegrown brand and a forward-thinking, globally competitive business under his steadfast leadership.

It is due to this that The Business Manual is honoring him in the CEO Awards 2025, a celebration of visionary leaders who are reshaping business landscapes by pushing boundaries and setting new standards of success.

From Modest T-shirt Business to Largest Clothing Chain

An interior design graduate, Chan accessories for Chan C Brothers before deciding he would also design furniture. Soon, Dimensione, his first business venture and furniture store, was born. A natural inclination towards aesthetics and design prompted Chan to venture into fashion retail. Chan established Bench as a small t-shirt store in 1987. At the time, the retail landscape was different, and Filipinos were more conservative and formal in their choice of clothing. Bench’s casual and sporty approach to ready-to-wear was ahead of its time.

Bench steadily evolved into the country’s largest clothing and lifestyle store under Suyen Corporation. It now has over 600 retail locations in the Philippines. With his world-class fashion sense and firm work ethic, Chan expanded Bench to international markets, opening stores in the United States, the Middle East, and China.

A Pulse for the Next Big Thing

His experiences as a citizen of the world gave Chan insight into different circles and cultures. He has become a purveyor of the hottest trends in retail marketing. Bench was a pioneer in utilizing celebrity endorsers and giant billboards when they weren’t the norm. Chan’s foresight fueled his decision to jump into the Hallyu craze, targeting a larger market share with the help of K-Pop and K-Drama to promote Bench.

All in the Family

Chan comes from a family of serial entrepreneurs. His parents founded Liwayway Marketing Corporation, now run by his brother, Carlos. Chan runs Suyen Corporation with his sister and brother-in-law, and their children. Aside from Bench, the conglomerate also owns Human, Kashieca, DImensione, Bench Skin Expert, and Bench Fix Salon. It is also the local distributor of international fashion brands like Cotton On, Cath Kidston, Vero Moda, Under Armour, and Aldo; and fragrance and cosmetics lines Jo Malone, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Origins, and Kiehl’s.

Suyen Corporation now employs thousands of employees–all of which are treated by the owners as family. 

An Enduring Legacy 

Chan’s stellar contributions have made him a formidable figure in the local retail landscape. He serves as an inspiration to younger entrepreneurs and is a testament to the belief that persistence, ingenuity, and hard work can lead to success. Generation after generation has witnessed Chan’s impact on the industry, and his legacy continues as Bench inches closer to its 40th year of operations. He is a deserving recipient of the CEO Awards.

The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025: Honoring Industry Disruptors

The Business Manual is proud to hold its second The Business Manual CEO Awards. With the theme “Honoring Industry Disruptors,” this year’s The CEO Awards honors visionary leaders who are reshaping business landscapes, pushing boundaries, challenging the norm, and setting new standards of success. 

Criteria for Excellence

This year’s awardees have been selected from a pool of nominations that include business leaders from both startups and industry giants. Each nomination has been carefully assessed in order to determine if the nominee exhibits the following qualifications in order to be considered for the award:

Innovation, Adaptability, and Disruptive Leadership 

  • Measures the CEO’s ability to drive innovation, adapt to market changes, and lead the company like industry disruptors who challenge norms and leave a lasting impact.

Effective Management and Strategic Governance 

  • Assesses the candidate’s business achievements. This includes how the CEO steers the company toward revenue growth and how he or she scales the business (both locally and internationally).

Brand Influence and Recognition in their Industry

  • Considers how the CEO has built the credibility and reputation of the company. It gauges how known and recognizable the company is and whether it has attained brand awareness within a wide range of audiences.

Personal Image and Credibility 

  • Evaluates the CEO’s reputation and how well he or she is perceived by business partners, employees, stakeholders, and consumers. This also includes how he or she applies ethics as a leader, as well as how his or her image contributes to both brand and company representation. 

Contribution to Society 

  • Determines how a CEO has effectively led his or her company and its overall contribution—not just to its respective industry, but to society as a whole. This includes how he or she has implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs or social causes, attained local and/or international recognition, partnered with government initiatives, or exerted efforts for the country.

For this year, The Business Manual’s esteemed panel of judges include: 

  • Eric Pike Caeg (International Council for Small Business)
  • Jay Fajardo (Ideaspace Ventures)
  • Mina Akram (Go Negosyo)
  • Rhoda Castro-Caliwara (Women Business Council)
  • Ronn Astillas (Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce)
  • Consul Sergio Ortiz Luis (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Stay updated with the full coverage of The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025 via The Business Manual’s official website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.

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