Dubai, United Arab Emirates (PRWEB) May 10, 2015
Fifteen of United Arab Emirates entrepreneurs and business leaders were named awardees of the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2015 at a glittering gala at Shangri-La, Dubai. Over 250 attendees were present at the by-invitation only event, comprising of industry leaders, leading entrepreneurs, dignitaries and the who's who of the business world, including, Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and UAE, Lt. Gen. Sudhir Sharma, member of the board of Enterprise Asia, and Dato' William Ng, president of Enterprise Asia.
The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, or APEA, is a regional recognition program organized by Enterprise Asia, the region's foremost association and think-tank for entrepreneurship. The Awards are presented to a handful of entrepreneurs across Asia and the Pacific each year, with award ceremonies held in over 12 countries every year.
The Awards is often compared to the Olympics for the stringent entry criteria and highly competitive judging parameters. Nominations into the Awards itself is by invitation, either by past and current awardees, a supporting trade association or the awards committee of Enterprise Asia. Nominees are then subjected to a series of rigourous tests, including financial verification by an appointed audit firm and a compulsory physical site audit and interview, culminating in a secret balloting process by Enterprise Asia's awards committee.
Awardees are expected to be torch-bearers of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership 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 Ng.
The final 15 were announced by Enterprise Asia at the grand awards ceremony in Dubai, where all winners were presented with their trophies and certificates by Ng, Sharma and Bassam Dahman, Managing Partner of RSM Dahman and Regional CEO of RSM Middle East and North Africa.
The APEA is the first of many programs earmarked for the Gulf region, as part of Enterprise Asia's goals to democratise entrepreneurship by providing the tools and opportunities for entrepreneurs to excel regionally.
Mr Ng 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 of the UAE, and help to drive the economy forward".
The recipients of the night were truly deserving individuals, while each and every one of them come from their diverse backgrounds, they have in common the gene to be a leader and to drive their businesses forward. For one, Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan, chairman of Transworld Group, comes with over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience. Behind his sheer grit Mr Ramesh knows that “Profit is notional until you receive the physical money”. His distinct ability to plan ahead and a power to dream has enabled him to make decisions essential to his goal of nurturing the organization’s growth from an agency to a leading shipping and logistics provider.
While recipients come from diverse backgrounds and industries, they share the same goals of driving their businesses forward. Ramesh S Ramakrishnan, chairman of Transworld Group and an awardee under the Outstanding Entrepreneurship category said that the key to his success is in being able to plan ahead. As a result, Transworld Group has grown from a shipping agency to one of the largest integrated shipping and logistics provider in the Emirates. "Profit is notional until you receive the physical money", says Ramesh when asked for his advice to fellow entrepreneurs.
RECIPIENT LIST OF ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS 2015 UAE
== Special Achievement Category ==
Rizwan Sajan
Founder & Chairman, Danube Group
== Outstanding Category ==
Nicole Rodrigues
Proprietor & Managing Director, Diva Group of Companies
Faisal Memon
Founder & CEO, Illusions Online
Ved Chhabra
Chairman & Managing Director, Inter Ocean Ship Repairs LLC
Nazeer Ahmad Zakaria
Managing Director, Naz Fashions LLC
Meera Kaul
Founder & Chairperson, Optimus Computer Trading LLC
Dr Sundar Menon
Chairman & Managing Director, Sun Group International
Mahesh Shahdadpuri
Founder & CEO, TASC Outsourcing
Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan
Chairman, Transworld Group
Nisreen Shocair
President, Virgin Megastore Middle East
== Most Promising Category ==
Hemant Kambli
CEO, Dhofar Global Tr. Co. LLC
Khalid Basaeed
General Manager, FEATHERS UAE
Mona Ataya
CEO & Founder, Mumzworld.com
Vishaal Shah
CEO & Founder, Panache International FZ LLC
Fatima Al Shirawi
Founder, The Gracious F
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About Enterprise Asia
Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia work with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation.
About APEA
Launched in 2007 the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards are the region's most prestigious awards for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation and sustainable leadership. The Awards provide a platform for companies and governments to recognise entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 12 markets such as Hong Kong, Thailand, India and China, to name a few.
For further information, visit http://www.apea.asia or http://www.enterpriseasia.org.
