Dennis Uy, Chairman and President of Udenna Corp. has received the ASEAN Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from EY Entrepreneur of the Year, the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs established by Ernst & Young Global Limited. The highly coveted award is presented to successful Southeast Asian businessmen that have helped develop economies and communities in the region.
Since the inception of the Udenna Corp. in Davao City in 2002, Uy has gone on to become one of the nation’s leading businessmen. Udenna is the parent company of Uy’s venture into distribution and retail of petroleum products through Phoenix Petroleum.
Phoenix is now the only homegrown brand among the top four international industry players. He also got into shipping and logistics via Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp., which has become the biggest shipping and logistics company in the Philippines.
Udenna has since expanded and diversified its portfolio to include property development, education, food, gaming, tourism, infrastructure and retail.
Dito Telecommunity Corp., majority of which is owned by Udenna and Chelsea, was recently chosen to operate as the new major telecommunications service provider in the country by late 2020.
In the wake of such success, Uy has helped support numerous advocacies through the Udenna Foundation and Phoenix Philippines Foundation. Through these foundations, Udenna has been able to provide financial and medical assistance to soldiers in Marawi City and their families, grant scholarships to their employees and their children, organize relief operations in times of natural disasters and embark on several environmental projects.
“Dennis’ entrepreneurial story is truly outstanding,” said Max Loh, Singapore managing partner of Ernst & Young LLP. “His impact extends beyond job creation through his portfolio of companies to charity-driven ventures through the Udenna Foundation and Phoenix Philippines Foundation, bringing to life how successful corporates can contribute to the society and help build a better working world – and in his case, in the Philippines.”
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards were launched in 2002 to honor people who have created successful business ventures. It is the leading business award in Singapore and the first and only truly global entrepreneurial awards program. Among the things the award-giving body considers when selecting winners are entrepreneurial spirit, strategic direction, community impact and personal integrity.