Press release

25 Mar 2021 Kuala Lumpur, MY

Kamarul A Muhamed of Aerodyne Group named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia

Four other awards presented for entrepreneurial excellence.

Related topics Entrepreneurship
  • Four other awards presented for entrepreneurial excellence 

Kamarul A Muhamed, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Aerodyne Group (Aerodyne) was named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2020 Malaysia at a virtual award ceremony hosted by EY earlier this evening. Kamarul, who was also named the winner of the Technology Entrepreneur category, was picked from among 15 Top Nominees vying for the title.

Kamarul, 53, will represent Malaysia and join more than 60 other country winners to compete for the coveted EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year (WEOY) award at the annual WEOY event in June this year.

A technopreneur at heart, Kamarul left the corporate world to pursue his passion in technology and digital innovation. He founded Aerodyne in 2014 and has not looked back since. Starting off as a company specializing in aerial imagery, Aerodyne now has over 400 drone professionals operating in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) services sector, managing more than 300,000 infrastructure assets with 110,000 flight operations across 35 countries globally. Since its inception, Aerodyne has pivoted to data intelligence, integrated solutions and now, Drone Tech, Data Tech and Digital Transformation (DT3) as it adapts to ever-changing markets. Aerodyne is currently ranked second in the world by Drone Industry Insights of Germany.

Philip Rao, Partner, Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn. Bhd. and EOY Malaysia Programme Director said, “Kamarul is an inspiring role model and embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the “unstoppables”. His passion in innovation and disruptive technology, coupled with his determination to challenge and reinvent the status quo has contributed significantly to redefining the industry landscape for drone technology in Malaysia and around the world.”

Tan Sri Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria, Executive Director, APEC Secretariat and Chief Judge of the EOY 2020 Malaysia judging panel said, “The panel of judges was unanimous in its decision and agreed that Kamarul is a trail-blazer in his purposeful endeavour to shape and impact not only his business but lead the industry at large. He has played a key role in driving stakeholder engagement and collaboration, both in the private and public sectors, as well as supporting communities, particularly during these unprecendented times. His undeterred commitment to innovation, forward thinking and disruptive transformation is creating a better working world and we have no doubt that Kamarul will do Malaysia proud at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year.”

“We were very impressed with the Top Nominees this year. Despite the extreme challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have demonstrated great perseverance, resilience and ingenuity in sustaining and growing their business, while supporting their people, industries and communities during the past year,” she added. 

Acknowledging the importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs, particularly during these challenging times, Dato’ Abdul Rauf Rashid, Malaysia Managing Partner, Ernst & Young  PLT said, “We were inspired by how entrepreneurs in Malaysia have stepped up, pushed on and persevered in the face of challenges in these unprecedented times, and we realized there has never been a more fitting time to recognize entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship than now.

“The sheer grit, persistence and sense of ambition demonstrated by this select group of individuals, particularly in this past year, have been truly tangible and inspiring.

“Against a backdrop of significant global challenges, these remarkable change-makers have stepped up to the plate and gone above and beyond to make a positive difference to their people, communities, country and the world,” he added.

In addition to the top honour, EY also presented four other awards for entrepreneurial excellence to the following individuals:

  • EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia – Mr Eric Cheng, Carsome Sdn Bhd  
  • EY Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia – Mr Kamarul A Muhamed, Aerodyne Group
  • EY Woman Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia – Ms Fiona Rebecca Limus, CompuMed Services Sdn Bhd 
  • EY Master Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia – Mr KH Lim, Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd

The four recipients, as well as the overall country award recipient, were selected by an independent panel of judges guided by a set of global standard criteria. The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Malaysia panel of judges comprised the following individuals:

  • Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rebecca Sta Maria - Executive Director, APEC Secretariat
  • Ms Aireen Omar - President, AirAsia Digital, AirAsia Group Bhd
  • Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift – CEO, Bursa Malaysia Bhd
  • Mr Ganesh Kumar Bangah - Founder and Executive Chairman, Commerce DotAsia Ventures Sdn Bhd
  • Dato' Hazimah Zainuddin - Managing Director, Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd
  • Mr Raymond Siva – CMO, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation
  • Mr Dang Tai Luk – CEO, Mynews Holdings Bhd

The EOY 2020 Malaysia programme is also proud to have these organisations join EY in support of entrepreneurship: 

  • BFM 89.9
  • Bits and Pixels Sdn Bhd
  • Bursa Malaysia Bhd
  • Credit Suisse AG
  • Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)
  • Nanyang Siang Pau
  • The Edge Malaysia and The Edge CEO Morning Brief

For more information about the EOY Malaysia programme, please visit ey.com/my/eoy.

                                                                                     - Ends -

About EY 

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn Bhd.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

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. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/eoy