BrazilMynews and Tokopedia founders in global entrepreneur title hunt
Ernst & Young has named Mynews CEO Dang Tai Luk as Entrepreneur of the Year for Malaysia. He joins Tokopedia founder William Tanuwijaya among Asian representatives competing for the global title.
The Malaysian branch of global professional services firm Ernst & Young has selected Mynews convenience store chain founder and CEO Dang Tai Luk as its Entrepreneur of the Year for 2019. Dang will join Singapore winner David Lee, the CEO of IYUNO Media Group, along with Tokopedia founder and CEO William Tanuwijaya of Indonesia among Asian representatives vying for the coveted 2020 global crown.
Starting out with a single newsstand in 1996, Dang has overseen the growth of Mynews to a network of more than 500 outlets across the country – in what is now the largest convenience store chain in the competitive Malaysian market. In addition to his business entrepreneurship, Dang is recognised for his social initiatives – with innovation, personal integrity, and national impact among the selection criteria.
Other awards went to Ir. Azhar Zainal Abidin of engineering product designer and consultancy ProEight – named Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year – and Plus Solar Systems founders Ko Chuan Zhen, Poh Tyng Huei and Ryan Oh Zhi Kang as Emerging Entrepreneurs, while in a Malaysia first, See Wai Hun of Juris Technologies and Jenny Chuang of Sydney Cake House were named Woman EoYs.
“Both have, in their own ways, broken boundaries, challenged traditional mindsets and defined new norms,” EY Malaysia Advisory partner and local EOY Programme Director Philip Rao said of the latter. “They are the personification of the unstoppables. In the process, they have driven growth and prosperity, inspired positive change and helped shape a better future for themselves and those around them.”
Taking over the mantle from last year’s winner Song Hoi-see – who served as a member of this year’s independent judges’ panel – Dang is now in the running for the global EY Entrepreneur of the Year award to be held in Monte Carlo next year. Alongside him will be IYUNO CEO David Lee, who was announced as the Singapore winner in October, and Tokopedia leader William Tanuwijaya, named Indonesia Entrepreneur of the Year earlier this month.
Drawing closer to its IPO, yet said to be in talks to raise a further $1.5 billion in a final funding round prior to its listing, the Indonesian ecommerce marketplace Tokopedia was founded just a decade ago, by Tanuwijaya and director Leontinus Alpha Edison. Despite such success, Tanuwijaya expressed humility in being named EY EOY for Indonesia. “I’m lucky to experience failure more than success. It makes me an entrepreneur by necessity.”
“There are a lot of successful people in the world. But to build something truly remarkable, you can’t let anything stand in your way,” said EY Indonesia country managing partner Hari Purwantono, who noted this year’s EOY theme; Transforming our World through the Unstoppables. “Only a few leaders are part of this special group: the ones who never give up. In the end, William emerged outperforming the top finalists who were no less extraordinary”.
