Celltrion chairman selected as entrepreneur of year

Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin, third from left, with other award winners at the 14th EY Entrepreneur of the Year ceremony at Lotte Signiel Seoul, Nov. 5. / Courtesy of EY Hanyoung

By Park Jae-hyuk

Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin received the Master award during the 14th Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year award ceremony held in Korea last Thursday.

EY Hanyoung said Seo won the grand prize for developing the nation's biopharmaceutical industry and driving a paradigm shift in the global healthcare business.

Under his leadership, Celltrion developed the world-first antibody biosimilar Remsima and has grown into the world's largest antibody biosimilar developer in terms of sales.

Seo won the award 10 years after it picked him as a “Rising Star” in 2010. He is the only Korean entrepreneur to win awards twice from EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

According to the local subsidiary of the global accounting firm, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards are given every year to innovative businesspeople in countries around the world who have constantly shown adventurous spirit and leadership.

Seo will take part in the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year award ceremony next year, contending with world-leading entrepreneurs from 145 cities in 50 countries.

“Your adventurous spirit has served as the driving force for our society to solve many problems facing us,” EY Hanyoung CEO Park Yong-geun told awardees at the recent ceremony. “As the most trustworthy partner for businesses, we will always support you.”

The accounting firm gave the “Family Business” award to Hwaseung Group Chairman Hyeon Seung-hoon and Vice Chairmen Hyeon Ji-ho and Hyeon Seok-ho. Musinsa CEO Cho Man-ho was selected as the Rising Star this year. The Women's Entrepreneur Special award went to HL Science CEO Lee Hae-yeon.