EY has named six entrepreneurs from six organisations as recipients of the 21st EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2022 Singapore awards.
They are:
- Lim Wai Mun, founder and CEO of Doctor Anywhere, named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Health Care Services;
- Akshay Garg, co-founder and Group CEO, FinAccel Pte. Ltd., named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Financial Technology;
- Julian Ng, CEO and executive director, Grand Venture Technology
One of the winners will be named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Singapore, and represent Singapore at the annual EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ (WEOY) award in 2023 to compete with contenders from over 60 jurisdictions.
Singapore’s representative to the WEOY award will be announced at the EY EOY Awards Gala on Nov 29.
The winners were chosen out of close to 140 nominations by an independent judging panel, based on their merits in fulfilling the four globally benchmarked criteria, which are entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose and impact.
See also: Doris Hsu of Taiwan's GlobalWafers named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023
Chairperson of the judging panel, Lam Yi Young, also CEO of Singapore Business Federation noted that the winners were all “driven by a distinctive sense of purpose and passion” despite their different backgrounds and fields.
“They seek to create a better world for the communities they serve or live in and went on to build compelling businesses that have redefined and uplifted their respective industries. They have also shown strong business acumen and clear strategic vision, through capitalizing successfully on emerging opportunities catalysed by digitalization and new market demands, as well as continuing to expand their presence locally and regionally,” Lam says.
Liew Nam Soon, EY Asean regional managing partner and Singapore and Brunei managing partner, Ernst & Young Solutions LLP, explains how the winning entrepreneurs embody this year’s theme of “The Unstoppables”.
See also: Nominations open for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 awards in Singapore
“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,” he says.
“Many of the winning entrepreneurs this year – with their disruptive and innovative business models and use of technology – create new customer experiences and revenue streams. Whether they were inspired by their life and career experiences or frustrations with current market and service gaps, the winning entrepreneurs have been bold to seize opportunities, challenge status quo and innovate for change, demonstrating compelling growth journeys and ambitions that make them unstoppable,” he adds.
Honorary awards
In addition to the six winners, EY has awarded the Asean Entrepreneurial Excellence award to Keeree Kanjanapas of BTS Group Holdings Public Company Limited, the majority shareholder of the Bangkok Mass Transit System.
The award is an honorary award that is presented on board the EOY platform (the award recipient does not compete for the EOY Singapore 2022 title) and recognizes successful Southeast Asian businesses that contribute to the economy and community in the region.
Agrocorp International Pte. Ltd. also received the honorary family business award and was named recipient of the EY Family Business Award of Excellence. The award recipient is jointly selected by knowledge partners, Business Families Institute @ Singapore Management University and the INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise.
EY’s Liew called Kanjanapas “a true visionary”, noting that the BTS Group, which began in the real estate sector, is now a multisector conglomerate with businesses in mass transit, media and marketing solutions as well as business matching platforms.
To stay ahead of Singapore and the region’s corporate and economic trends, click here for Latest Section
“Combined, the services by BTS are serving the local communities and businesses and bettering the lives of people in Thailand in more ways than imagined. Its focus on sustainability, as seen in how the BTS Group is the first and only rail transportation company to be carbon neutral certified in Thailand, is also highly respectable,” he says.
On Agrocorp, Liew says, “Established in Singapore in 1990, Agrocorp is a second-generation family business that has successfully transitioned from a wholesaler to a leading integrated agricultural commodity and food solutions provider. Importantly, it continues to demonstrate a sustainable and long term-oriented strategy based on its core beliefs of integrity, relationships, reliability and traceability, underpinned by investments in technology.”
He adds: “As a family enterprise where sustainability is fundamental to their business, Agrocorp’s impact extends beyond the food solutions and products they offer, but also to the value chains, sectors and communities that they interact with through their business.”
The Singapore Exchange S68 continues as a partner of the EOY awards for the third year.
“We have seen macro events presenting unprecedented challenges to businesses and societies in recent years. While entrepreneurship plays an important role in spinning the wheels of the economy, its significance goes beyond the business world. Through their visions and creativity, entrepreneurs help foster innovation, create new opportunities, and promote social changes,” says Pol de Win, senior managing director and head of global sales and origination, SGX Group.
“So, congratulations to this year’s winners for inspiring us with their dare-to-try spirit and SGX Group looks forward to supporting our entrepreneurs as they continue to catalyse change in our communities and drive economic transformation,” he adds.
