George W. Drysdale

George W. Drysdale is Chairman Emeritus of the Marsman-Drysdale Group. He was Chairman, President and CEO of the Marsman-Drysdale Group from 1968 until mid-1997 when he relinquished the chair to his son, George M. Drysdale, Jr.

He is actively involved in various business, community, cultural and religious affairs. In the business sector he was President and Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Governor of the Management Association of the Philippines, the founding Chairman of the MAP-Agri-business and Countryside Development Foundation, and Vice-President & Governor of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines. In community affairs, he was President and Trustee of the International School of Manila, Director of Rotary Club of Manila, Director of the Manila Polo Club and Trustee of TSPI Development Corporation (micro credit for the poor). In the cultural area, he is a Trustee of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society, the Bayanihan Folk Arts Association, the National Music Competition for Young Artists Foundation and the Pajaro Foundation. And in the religious area, he is Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Haggai Institute in the Philippines, Treasurer and Trustee of the National Prayer Breakfast Committee and of the Bigkis Foundation (Christian Youth Ministry), and was Chairman of the Board of Elders of the Union Church of Manila.

Mr. Drysdale was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a B.S. degree in Business at Northwestern University, Evaston, Illinois.

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George Marsman Drysdale is Chairman and CEO of the Marsman Drysdale Group, a diversified Philippine-based holding and management company with interests in the agribusiness, food processing, communications, tourism and investment management industries.  The Group’s current operating interests primarily include tropical fruit and vegetable plantations (banana, mango and asparagus) for export throughout Asia and the Middle East, branded fruit and juice processing, marketing and distribution; wireless data and voice communications, and corporate travel and tour services.  In addition, the Group holds significant interests in corporations involved in cable TV, IT training, call centers, medical equipment distribution and investment banking and management. Mr. Drysdale also makes direct private equity investments in high growth communications and media companies in the United States.  Primary investments currently include DST Systems, Apria, Intraware, IP Wireless and the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

Prior to joining the Marsman-Drysdale Group in 1991, Mr. Drysdale was a venture capitalist, first as General Partner of Hambrecht & Quist Venture Partners of San Francisco (1983-1988), and then as a managing General Partner of Westar Capital, a management buyout firm. From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Drysdale practiced corporate, securities, and tax law for  Davis, Polk & Wardwell, a Wall Street law firm.

Born in Manila, Philippines and raised in California and the Philippines, he received a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA) in 1976 and a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a M.B.A. from the Stanford Business School in 1980. 

He was awarded a White House Fellowship in 1987 and served as Special Assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng, and has also served as a member of the National Advisory Council for the Small Business Administration. He is currently a member of Team 100.

Mr. Drysdale served as the Chairman of more than twenty closely held companies and as a director of six private companies outside the Marsman Drysdale Group.  He is also a Trustee of his alma mater, Harvey Mudd College.

He recently served three terms as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and is currently the Chairman of the twenty two member chambers of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC).  He has been very involved with the Young Presidents’ Organization and recently served as the Chair of the Philippine Chapter of YPO.  In his spare time, he enjoys golf, tennis, and baseball.

He and his four children: Catherine, Jennifer, George and Caroline reside in Manila, Philippines as well as Hillsborough, California .