19 Leading Entrepreneurs Honoured At APEA Indonesia 2015

The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, or APEA, is a regional recognition program organised by Enterprise Asia, the region’s foremost association and think- tank for entrepreneurship. The Awards are presented to a handful of entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific each year, with award ceremonies held in over twelve countries every year.

The Awards are often compared to the Olympics for the stringent entry criteria and highly competitive judging parameters. Nominations of the Awards itself is by invitation, either by past and current awardees, a supporting trade association or the organising committee of Enterprise Asia. Nominees are then subjected to a series of rigorous tests, including financial verification by an appointed audit firm. The nomination process is then followed by a compulsory physical site audit and interview, culminating in a secret balloting process by Enterprise Asia’s organising committee.

Awardees are expected to be torchbearers of entrepreneurship and business leaders in their respective countries, and adhere to a strict standard of personal and business ethics.

“We can say with certainty that the recipients of the APEA are like none others. Not only do they have to prove their entrepreneurial skills and experience in one of the toughest contests in the world, they also subject themselves to a pledge to uphold the highest standards of entrepreneurship, which includes allegiance to the two founding pillars of Enterprise Asia, namely Investment in People and Responsible Entrepreneurship”, says Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn, Chairman of Enterprise Asia.

For its sixth year in Indonesia, the APEA has recognised the business leaders of the region as the drivers and backbone of its economy.

The recipients in Indonesia were selected from among 200 shortlisted candidates, ranging from talented young entrepreneurs to experienced industrialists. It is through this recognition program that Enterprise Asia hopes to continue to encourage and stimulate economic growth throughout the region.

Dr Fong explained, “The APEA is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship. Beyond recognising the efforts of these entrepreneurs, we hope to encourage them to continue taking their businesses to the next level, and in the process, providing more job opportunities to the people in the region, and help to drive the economy forward”.

The nineteen truly deserving individuals were awarded under the Most Promising, Outstanding and Special Categories of the Awards, representing various industries and focus areas.