Curiosity — rather than certainty — shaped Stanley Co’s journey from a UST Commerce student to president and chief executive officer of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., a lesson he shared with students as he urged them to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom during the University’s annual Students Awards Day on May 22.
Addressing awardees at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, Co said success is often built on the willingness to embrace unfamiliar experiences rather than having every career move mapped out from the start.
Like many students nearing graduation, Co recalled being uncertain about what lay ahead. Unsure whether to join the family business or pursue a different career, he said the experiences he embraced at UST ultimately shaped his approach to leadership and lifelong learning.
A graduate of the UST College of Commerce and Business Administration, where he earned a Commerce degree major in Economics in 1998, Co said he spent his years on campus saying yes to opportunities beyond the classroom. He joined the choir, played sports and became a member of the debate team after professors encouraged him to take on roles they believed he was capable of handling.
“Many times, they saw potential in us before we saw it ourselves. And so they gave us the opportunities with a constant hope that we would be more capable, more confident, and more willing to try,” he said.
One experience that stayed with him was volunteering for crowd control during Pope St. John Paul II’s visit to UST for World Youth Day in 1995. Although the role came without recognition or reward, Co said it reinforced the importance of participating for the experience itself.
“Not every experience has to become an achievement. Sometimes, the value is in the trying. And sometimes, the value is in learning what you are good at, what you are not good at, and what you still need to work on,” he said.
That mindset, he added, became even more valuable after graduation, particularly in business, where adapting to change demands continuous learning.
“Curiosity keeps you humble. It reminds you that there is always something to learn from the person beside you,” he said.
Before assuming the role of Robinsons Retail president and CEO in 2025, Co served as the company’s chief operating officer, overseeing retail brands such as Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise and Handyman.
He also pointed to fellow Thomasian graduates now leading various Robinsons Retail business units — including Robinsons Easymart, Uncle John’s, finance, information technology and marketing — as evidence that the University’s formation continues to shape its alumni long after graduation.
Despite leading one of the country’s largest retail companies, Co remains involved with his alma mater through industry talks and the College of Commerce and Business Administration’s mentorship program.
One of the students he mentored, Arian Garcia, now works as a marketing officer at True Value, an experience that Co said underscored the importance of creating opportunities for others.
“Someone opened the door for me once. And if curiosity has taught me anything, it is this. The greatest thing it can lead you to is someone else’s beginning,” he said.
Reflecting on his Thomasian education, Co said growth does not require abandoning one’s roots but building on them through continuous learning and new experiences.
“You do not have to discard where you came from. You build from it one question at a time, one opportunity at a time, and one uncomfortable but useful experience at a time. That is what UST did for me,” he said.
Robinsons Retail Holdings operates more than 2,700 stores nationwide, including more than 2,100 The Generics Pharmacy branches.
