Oscar Reyes, a former president and chief executive of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), died at the age 79, prompting an outpouring of grief from the business community.

Reyes held over five decades of management experience spanning a wide range of industries, including petroleum and mining, energy, telecommunications, commercial and investment banking and real estate.

Prior to his role at Meralco, Reyes was the former country chairman of the Shell Companies in the Philippines. In this capacity, he concurrently served as president of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and managing director of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V.

Before his death, he also served as a director or advisor to several other companies.

Reyes was a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, graduating cum laude, and completed all academic units for a Master's degree in Business Administration.

He also held a diploma in Business Administration and a certificate in Export Promotion from the Waterloo Lutheran University and completed the Program for Management Development from the Harvard Business School.