EY announced Dr. Howard Yang, Chairman, CEO, and Chief Scientist of Montage Technology Co., Ltd. and Li Ning, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Viva Goods Company Ltd. were named Chinese mainland winner and Hong Kong/Macau winner for the EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM 2023 awards in recognition of their spirit of inheritance and innovation, openness and integration. Along with their sustained endeavors and proactive integration into the national innovation system, they engage themselves in multi-value co-creation and sharing, to further stimulate the vitality of Chinese enterprises and support Chinese-style modernization.
Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and EY Greater China Regional Managing Partner, said, “Chinese modernization should be geared to the needs of the world and the future. It is a challenge that needs to bring together the wisdom of all parties to form a strong synergy for development. This year’s winners Dr. Howard Yang and Li Ning have a strong sense of independent innovation to support high-quality development, while keeping an open mind for cooperation and promoting collaboration across industries, regions, countries and economies to build an inclusive, open and sustainable working world with a shared future. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all winners. We wish them success in competing for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The YearTM title next year.”
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 – Chinese mainland winner:
Dr. Howard Yang
Chairman, CEO, and Chief Scientist, Montage Technology Co., Ltd.
Dr. Howard Yang received his MSEE and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University in the U.S. He was actively involved in chip R&D and design at National Semiconductor Corp. and other U.S. companies from 1990 to 1994. Afterwards, he served as the Head of the New Product R&D Department at Shanghai Belling from 1994 to 1996. In 1997, Dr. Yang co-founded Newave Semiconductor Corp, an integrated circuit (IC) design company modeled after Silicon Valley. In 2001, Newave merged with the U.S.-based Integrated Device Technology Inc., a merger that ranked among China’s top ten of the year. In 2004, Dr. Yang co-founded Montage Technology and has since held the positions of the company’s Chairman and CEO. Montage Technology is a world-leading data processing and interconnect IC design company dedicated to providing high performance, low-power IC solutions for cloud computing and artificial intelligence. It was also one of the first companies listed on the new Science and Technology Innovation Board in 2019. Dr. Yang was selected as a member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Council of the Global Semiconductor Alliance in 2015 for his extensive experience in design, R&D, and management. In 2020, he achieved the distinction of becoming the first recipient of the JEDEC Distinguished Executive Leadership Award from JEDEC, a global leader in developing standards for the microelectronics industry. This award is to honor the most distinguished senior executives in the electronics industry who have promoted and supported the advancement of JEDEC standards. In November 2022, Dr. Yang reached the esteemed status of IEEE Life Fellow in recognition of his many years of outstanding contributions to IC design. Additionally, he has been honored with prestigious awards, including the IEEE CAS Industry Pioneer Award and the Magnolia Award from the Shanghai Municipal Government.
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 – Winner, Hong Kong/Macau, China:
Li Ning
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Viva Goods Company Ltd.
Mr. Li Ning, known as the “Prince of Gymnastics”, is one of the most prominent athletes of the 20th century. He established the Li-Ning brand in 1990 with the simple goal of providing Chinese athletes with a national brand to wear on the world stage of the Olympics. This modest intention has led to the rise of one of China’s most iconic sports brands. His second venture, Viva Goods, serves as a pivotal platform for Mr. Li Ning and his namesake company to expand their presence in the international market and diversify the portfolio of consumer brands.
Since Mr. Li Ning took over in 2010, the Group has achieved a geographic footprint across more than 80 countries. It boasts a comprehensive lineup of apparel and footwear brands, including Bossini, a well-known casual wear brand in Greater China, and Clarks, the renowned British footwear brand. The Group has demonstrated remarkable revenue growth, with a substantial year-on-year increase of nearly 400% in 2022.
Moreover, Li-Ning has undertaken significant initiatives to transform and elevate its brands. These efforts include optimizing the Clarks retail channel and enhancing the back office efficiency. It has also promoted the rebranding of Bossini by enhancing its brand image through an official sponsorship with the China National Cycling Team. Mr. Li Ning’s vision is to inspire individuals to embrace an elegant, happy, healthy, and leisurely lifestyle by giving full play to the brand’s core values. We eagerly anticipate the growth of Viva Goods into a leading international consumer brand operator that extends from Asia to the global stage under his guidance.
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Notes to editors
About EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Learn more on ey.com/eoy.
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