Two decades of unwavering strength; EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2025 kicks off in Hong Kong

EY Greater China Region (EY) officially kicked off the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^TM (EOY) 2025 program today at the launch ceremony in Hong Kong, officially opening the program to nominations. To commemorate the 20th year of the EOY program in Greater China this year, previous EOY award winners, as well as political and business leaders, gathered to celebrate this milestone occasion.

Themed “Two decades of unwavering strength, forging ahead in the new era”, the EOY program this year continues its mission to identify transformative founders and CEOs as The Shapers of our collective future and to honor outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate courage in innovation and resilience against challenges in the new era. The program seeks to commend those who have made significant contributions to leading China's private economy by steadfastly adhering to their aspirations with a spirit of perseverance and excellence.

Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and EY Greater China Regional Managing Partner, says: “Hosting this year’s launch in Hong Kong highlights the city’s unique role as a connector between the Chinese mainland and rest of the world. The EOY program is more than an award – it’s a platform to spotlight bold ideas and purposeful leadership that will shape the next chapter of growth across our region.”

Christopher Hui, GBS, JP, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the HKSAR government, says in his opening speech: “I would like to thank EY for its unwavering commitment to recognizing and empowering entrepreneurial leaders, and I look forward to seeing this year’s nominees continue to push boundaries and turn bold aspirations into reality. With our open and internationalized market, common law system, free flow of capital and information, and a world-class talent pool, we provide one of the most dynamic platforms for entrepreneurs to launch, scale, and succeed. As our country continues to advance high-quality development, the HKSAR Government is undertaking a series of strategic initiatives to foster new quality productive forces. These include strengthening our capital markets, enhancing cross-boundary financial connectivity under the Greater Bay Area, and promoting emerging sectors such as green fintech, virtual assets, and artificial intelligence.”

MA Weihua, Member, UNDP SDG Impact Steering Group; Former Executive Director, President and CEO, China Merchants Bank; Judging Chairman of EOY 2025 independent judging panel; and EOY 2012 Chinese mainland winner, says: “The EOY program and our entrepreneurs have remained steadfast and unwavering in their aspirations, witnessing each other’s development and success in the past two decades. With discernment and advocacy for entrepreneurship, the independent judging panel has partaken in the program. As nominations begin this year, we aim to discover more entrepreneurs with foresight, innovative spirit and duty to our society in this new era, in which entrepreneurs may realize their dreams, and with quality and integrity, strive to contribute their strength to the high-quality development of China's economy.”

Carol Wu, Managing Director and Head of Private Banking, North Asia, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, says: “As we celebrate our exciting collaboration with EY, it's clear that Hong Kong remains at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions. With Mainland China’s ongoing financial liberalization and the city’s critical role in RMB internationalization, we see unmatched opportunities ahead. At DBS, we are proud to contribute to Hong Kong’s growth and its expanding connectivity with the Greater Bay Area. With approximately 70 branches across China and Hong Kong, we are strategically positioned to support seamless cross-border trade and investment, linking businesses and individuals across markets. As Asia continues to emerge as a global wealth hub, DBS will stay at the forefront, guiding our clients through an ever-changing landscape and cementing our position as their trusted partner for generations to come.”

Since its inception in 2006 in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the EOY program has witnessed the transformation in China’s economic prowess and its emergence as a global leader today. For two decades, alongside the nation’s private entrepreneurs and their display of strive, the EOY program has evolved into a prestigious benchmark award that celebrates and fosters entrepreneurial excellence. The EOY awards’ over 220 previous winners have not only attained remarkable accomplishments in the business and commercial domains but have also made significant contributions to social responsibility and sustainable development

At the launch ceremony, winners from previous years were invited to share their insights on the theme of “Navigating global horizons: Collaborative ventures between Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises”. Panelists delved into their experiences in leading their businesses to go global with Hong Kong as their homebase, attributing to the unique advantages of Hong Kong enabled by “One Country, Two Systems”, its diversified culture, legal system and talents. Meanwhile, the smart manufacturing and production lines in the Greater Bay Area also play an important supporting role in the transformation and commercialization of R&D outcomes in Hong Kong.

The EOY 2025 program is now open for nominations. The nomination brochure and nomination form can be downloaded at www.ey.com/en_cn/eoy.

In 2025, the WEOY program is entering its 25th year and it has expanded to 79 countries and regions. The program aims to recognize entrepreneurs who inspire others with their outstanding vision, leadership and achievement, advance entrepreneurship to new heights and build a broader platform for enhanced cooperation and exchanges among entrepreneurs. 

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Notes to Editors

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in 79 countries and regions. Visit us at www.ey.com/eoy for more information.

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About DBS Private Bank — the Platinum sponsor of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards

Born and bred in Asia, DBS Private Bank is able to tailor Asia-centric investment solutions to grow and protect client wealth for future generations. DBS achieves this by bringing the whole bank to bear for its clients, and provides them with privileged access to consumer, corporate and investment banking services. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS Private Bank has been named “Best Private Bank – Hong Kong” by Global Finance “World’s Best Private Bank for High Net Worth” and “Asia’s Best Bank for Wealth Management” by Euromoney for the second year running.

The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been recognized in “Best Digital Private Bank in Asia” at the Professional Wealth Management (PWM) Wealth Tech Awards 2025 for the very first time. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia“ award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024.