Lim Wai Mun, CEO of Doctor Anywhere, has been named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Singapore (EOY). The 40-yearold beat five other category winners and will go on to compete with winners from other countries at next June’s EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.
“Being an entrepreneur goes beyond starting and growing a business. It’s fundamentally about a relentless focus on innovation and purpose to drive societal impact,” says Lim.
“For the healthcare industry, the past two years have been an especially trying time, but [the pandemic] has also propelled it to a new, digital era of better and efficient healthcare. I’m humbled and honoured to be named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Singapore, and I hope to continue playing my part to grow our thriving local start-up ecosystem,” he adds.
Lim, who used to work at Standard Chartered Bank and Temasek, launched the telemedicine platform in 2017, seeking to connect “care-seekers” to healthcare providers through video-calls via mobile phone.
After some initial scepticism, Doctor Anywhere today counts 2.5 million users and more than 600 employees across six countries. Besides Singapore, the company also operates in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. To date, the company has raised more than $140 million from investors such as EDBI and IHH Healthcare Q0F .
“Under the visionary leadership of Wai Mun, what started as a simple aim to provide the elderly with improved access to healthcare has now flourished into a leading omnichannel healthcare company,” says chairperson of the judging panel, Lam Yi Young.
See also: Doris Hsu of Taiwan's GlobalWafers named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023
“The courage to embrace the risk of leaving a corporate role to pursue his idea, tenacity in overcoming market barriers at a time when telemedicine was yet to be widely accepted, as well as continued innovation in growing the ecosystem of services, are truly exemplary,” adds Lam, who is also CEO of Singapore Business Federation.
“Since the launch of the company in 2017, Doctor Anywhere now has a notable presence across six countries and serves more than 2.5 million users across Southeast Asia, remaining true to Wai Mun’s purpose of bringing accessible and efficient healthcare services to everyone.”
Besides winning the top honour, Lim has earlier won one of the six EOY category awards, for Healthcare Services. The other five EOY category award winners are: Akshay Garg, co-founder and group CEO of FinAccel (Financial Technology); Julian Ng, CEO and executive director of Grand Venture Technology JLB (Advanced Manufacturing); Kane Black, chief executive of INEX Innovate (Biotechnology); Jonathan Lim, CEO of Oddle (Food and Beverage Solutions); and Melissa Tan, CEO of Wah & Hua (Environmental Solutions).
See also: Nominations open for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 awards in Singapore
Liew Nam Soon, EY Asean regional managing partner and Singapore and Brunei managing partner, observes that over the years, business leaders are increasingly recognising the importance of building a purpose-driven business. By doing so, they can help create a sustainable business and deliver long-term value to stakeholders.
“Building a purpose-driven business takes grit, resilience and agility to not only navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and unpredictability of economic conditions, but also rally stakeholders around an unwavering vision and belief. This is what we are seeing with our winning entrepreneurs,” says Liew.
According to EY, the winners were selected from close to 140 nominations by an independent judging panel, based on their merits in fulfilling the four globally benchmarked criteria, namely entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose and impact.
In addition, two special awards were given out. The EY Family Business Award of Excellence was presented to Agrocorp International. This award is jointly selected by knowledge partners, Business Families Institute @ Singapore Management University and the INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise.
According to EY’s Liew, family enterprises form the bedrock of many economies. Agrocorp International is a second-generation company that has been successful in preserving the company and family values while maintaining a strong sense of innovation and environmental sustainability.
“[The company] has anticipated, adapted and evolved to meet the needs of its customers. The launch of a sustainable plant-based consumer brand, HerbYvore, bears testimony to its continual pursuit of innovation. Present in over 50 countries and working with more than 4,000 farmer partners, Agrocorp is nourishing a world with changing consumption needs and also contributing to local communities,” he adds.
Vijay Iyengar, chairman and managing director of Agrocorp International, says that as a business and a family, in making the most important decisions for Agrocorp, his family always refers to the compass of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and impact potential.
“While the results are not always immediately apparent, both tangible and intangible value tend to follow suit and not just for ourselves, but also for all our vital stakeholders, including our staff and customers,” he says.
The other special award, the EY Asean Entrepreneurial Excellence award, was given to Keeree Kanjanapas of BTS Group Holdings, known for being the operator of BTS Skytrain system in Bangkok.
“From establishing the real estate company, Tanayong, to founding BTS Group Holdings, which is today a highly successful multisector conglomerate, Kanjanapas’ entrepreneurial story is truly remarkable and inspiring,” says EY’s Liew.
“Importantly, he has been highly instrumental in Thailand’s infrastructural development, with BTS providing seamless connectivity via multimodal transportation, thereby improving the quality of commute and lives for millions of people. Committed to do what is right, he has led BTS to be the first carbon-neutral rail company, and continues to regularly give back to the community,” adds Liew.
The EOY awards, in its 21st year here in Singapore, was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong was the guest of honour.
The official partners of the EOY awards are the Singapore Exchange S68 (partner); and Portfolio, The Business Times and The Edge Singapore (official media partners). The supporters are Action Community for Entrepreneurship; Enterprise Singapore; Singapore Business Federation; and SkillsFuture Singapore.
From left: Pol de Win, senior managing director and head of global sales & origination at SGX Group; Kane Black of INEX Innovate; Julian Ng of Grand Venture Technology; Jonathan Lim of Oddle; Liew Nam Soon of EY; Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong; Lim Wai Mun of Doctor Anywhere; Melissa Tan of Wah & Hua; Akshay Garg of FinAccel; Vijay Iyengar of Agrocorp International; and Surayut Thavikulwat, CFO of BTS Group Holdings, receiving the award on behalf of Keeree Kanjanapas
