New Silk Road Award Honors for 2004

Washington SyCip
Founder of SGV Group
"Wise Owl of Asia"


The New Silk Road Award for 2004 will be accepted at Asia Night by Mr. Washington Sycip, founder of Asia's SGV Group. This Award is given annually by the California-Asia Business Council for outstanding contributions to commerce between California and Asia, and Mr. SyCip will come from Manila to receive it.

For some 50 years, Mr. SyCip headed SGV, then the largest auditing and professional services firm in Asia. SGV's role in developing reliability and standardization of financial reporting is widely credited with bringing consistency, transparency and professionalism to the Asian operations of California firms; to California investors in the Asian financial markets; and to Asian-owned companies. This development was fundamental for the expansion of investment and trade, and for Asian economies to flourish.

Today, Mr. SyCip remains a powerful force in US-Asia business, serving as the Chairman of the Asian Advisory Council of the NYSE and on global boards. Present at Asia Night will be companies whose executives continue to look to Mr. SyCip for his sage advice. For this reason, he is affectionately known as the "Wise Owl" of Asian business.

The 2004 Award is comprised of a stunning 17th-18th Century embroidered silk panel generously contributed for this purpose by Linda Wrigglesworth Chinese Costumes and Textiles, London.

Last year's Award was accepted by Dr. Daniel K. H. Chao, Chairman of Bechtel China, based in Shanghai, who is currently Chairman Emeritus of Cal-Asia.