CEO award - more than just high recognition

AIRASIA boss Datuk Tony Fernandes is a well-known entrepreneur, with a string of awards behind his name, for making his popular low-cost carrier a household name in Malaysia and the region.

However, there is one award that Fernandes won in 2002-2003, that he will always remember well - the Business Times-sponsored Malaysian CEO of the Year Award, which he won when piloting his then fledgling carrier to greater heights.

"Winning the award then definitely raised AirAsia's and my profile. The timing was good as we went from a company viewed with scepticism to a widely accepted concept for air travel," he said in an interview.

Fernan-des rose to prominence by turning AirAsia from a fledgling government-linked commercial airline into a highly successful public-listed company.

The CEO of the Year Award recognised the fact that although AirAsia was a small airline when it first took off, it was starting to make a difference with Fernandes at the helm. It also noted that the unique management style practised by him certainly differentiated its business from others in the industry.

The annual award generally recognises high quality entrepreneurial and managerial expertise and performance among leaders of Malaysian corporations.

Fernandes, however, said that while CEOs of corporations win awards such as the one awarded by Business Times, there is more to gaining such recognition.

"For me, it is not just the CEO himself who gains. When I won the award, it was also received on behalf of my team and company and it spurred me to do more for them. You are only as good as your team," he said.
"Award winners must also share their experiences with others to enable more people to gain perspectives from them."

On suggestions that past winners of the CEO of the Year Award form an alumni to share their experiences with budding corporate leaders and give back to society and the corporate world, Fernandes said it was a good idea, but such an alumni must have specific purposes.

"It would be a good idea to have a get-together of past winners of the CEO of the Year Award at least once a year, but it has to have a purpose. We should use the group to share experiences for the benefit of others," he said.

He said his personal choice of activity for such an alumni would be to speak to schoolchildren and students to give them perspectives on career choices early in life and guide them to where they want to go in their vocation.

"I find it hard to lecture to others, but to exchange views with young kids would be a good thing," he added.

"My advice to corporate leaders aspiring to be award winners is that you are only as good as your team. That is why it is important that you have a strong team and because of the team you are also able to win an award."