During these attempting instances, entrepreneurs have doggedly saved their companies transferring ahead however nice ones have reached again to counsel and contribute to the society. Such is the case for JungJin Seo — honorary chairman of South Korea-based Celltrion Group — who has simply been named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021.
The 63-year-old who based biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion in 2003 was picked from amongst 45 award winners from 38 international locations and territories competing for the worldwide award. This additionally marks a milestone for South Korea as JungJin is the primary within the nation to bag the accolade within the award’s 21-year historical past.
Celltrion has lived up its ambition to advance well being and welfare for all by creating groundbreaking medicine to deal with autoimmune ailments, completely different types of most cancers, and most lately, Covid-19. Armed with simply US$45,000 to start with, JungJin — along with 5 of his colleagues — have grown the corporate to grow to be a number one drive within the South Korean pharmaceutical business. Celltrion now boasts a fleet of 2,100 staff, with gross sales permits in additional than 90 international locations and revenues exceeding US$1.69b.
JungJin’s entrepreneurial journey began at an early age when he labored as a taxi driver to get himself by Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, the place he studied industrial engineering.
After he secured a job at Daewoo Motor Co and rose by the ranks, he instantly misplaced his job amid the automaker’s monetary troubles following the 1997 Asian financial disaster. In the years that adopted, he determined to give attention to the biopharmaceutical sector, believing that it had the potential to be the following nice progress engine.
The launch of Remsima, the “world’s first” antibody biosimilar, catapulted Celltrion to worldwide recognition, bringing consideration to South Korea’s comparatively underdeveloped pharmaceutical sector. Celltrion adopted this success with the launch of medicine for breast most cancers and lymphoma that at the moment are used worldwide. It additionally responded to the worldwide pandemic by efficiently creating an antibody therapy for COVID-19.
“Entrepreneurship to me has at all times been about bringing collectively a gaggle of individuals towards a typical imaginative and prescient, embracing challenges as alternatives and committing oneself to contribute to the higher good. When I first began, my imaginative and prescient was to assist sufferers acquire entry to secure, efficient and reasonably priced medicines and thereby improve the standard of individuals’s lives. The success of Celltrion has enabled me to develop on this whereas discovering new methods to gas my entrepreneurial drive,” says JungJin.
Crowning this yr’s EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year apart, EY additionally honoured HRH The Prince of Wales, of the United Kingdom, with an inaugural EY Social Entrepreneurship Award. This award was given in recognition of the large social worth created by The Prince of Wales’ main initiatives, together with The Prince’s Trust and Business within the Community, the thrilling progress of the daring, international Sustainable Markets Initiative and this yr’s unveiling of the Terra Carta, which gives a highway map towards placing nature, individuals and planet on the coronary heart of international worth creation over the following decade.
Carmine Di Sibio, EY Global Chairman and CEO, additionally congratulated each on their achievements.
“After a yr of unbelievable challenges, I’m excited to have the ability to recognise these two exceptional people for his or her contributions to society. Throughout his life, His Royal Highness has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to constructing a greater world and I couldn’t envision a extra worthy honoree for the inaugural EY Social Entrepreneurship Award.
“Likewise, JungJin Seo has spent his profession representing the whole lot an unstoppable entrepreneur must be. From taking up the world’s largest well being care challenges to constantly creating long-term worth for his firm, JungJin is a mannequin EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year winner. Congratulations to each on their worthy distinctions.”
Watch the winner annoucement beneath:
To discover out extra about this yr’s awards, see here.
