Asia Top Entrepreneur Awards – Malaysia: Tan Sri Dato’ Francis Yeoh
Managing Director, YTL Group of Companies, Malaysia
Tan Sri Dr. Francis Yeoh is Managing Director of YTL Group of Companies. He took over the running of his family company in 1986 and grew it into a global Infrastructure development conglomerate with a combined market capitalisation of USD 8 billion and total assets of USD 16 billion as at 31 March 2016.
Besides managing YTL Group’s core listed entities, Francis is Executive Chairman of YTL Starhill Global REIT Management Limited, manager for Starhill Global REIT. He is Chairman of YTL PowerSeraya Private Limited, which is responsible for a 20% share of the Singapore Electricity market. He is also the Chairman of Wessex Water Services Limited. Francis is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. Regarded as one of “Asia’s 25 Most Powerful and Influential Business Personalities” by Fortune and Business Week, Francis advocates responsible stewardship of the business. He is on the Advisory Councils of London Business School, Wharton School and INSEAD. He chaired the judging panel of the Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 in Monte Carlo, having been Ernst and Young Malaysian Entrepreneur of the Year 2002.
Francis was made Board Member of Global Child Forum by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf in May 2016. Global Child Forum is an independent, global multi-stakeholder platform purposed to dialogue, promote and advance children’s rights through ethical and sustainable practices. Francis serves on the Board of Trustees of YTL Foundation, actively supporting education initiatives throughout Malaysia. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Suu Foundation, a humanitarian organisation committed to improving healthcare and education in Myanmar. He supports environmental conservation and renewable energy initiatives, serving on Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific Council. He champions the Arts and co-founded Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. He is Regional Chairman of International Friends of the Louvre.
In 2006, Francis was conferred the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Francis was made Primus Inter Pares Honouree of the 2010 Oslo Business for Peace Award by a panel of Nobel Laureates, for actively advocating socially responsible business ethics and practices. He is the recipient of the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the 2010 CNBC’s Asia Business Leaders Awards. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Regulated Industries at the 7th World Chinese Economic Summit held in London in 2015. For his philanthropic activities, he was also awarded the prestigious Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Award at the 2016 Celebrity Fight Night in Arizona.
In 2017, he was honoured with the Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution at the Kuala Lumpur Mayor Tourism Awards. This was in recognition of his efforts that helped transform Kuala Lumpur into one of the top shopping and tourist destinations in the world. Francis was voted Power CEO of the Year by Asian Power 2017.
Francis holds Honorary Doctorates in Engineering from Nottingham University as well as Kingston University, where he has a BSc in Civil Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Francis married the late Puan Sri Dato’ Paduka Rosaline in 1982 and they have 3 sons and 2 daughters.
