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Tag: award

  • CIMB bags ‘Best Retail Bank in Malaysia’ award

    CIMB bags ‘Best Retail Bank in Malaysia’ award

    CIMB Bank Bhd has won “Best Retail Bank in Malaysia” at the International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards Programme 2017 conferred by The Asian Banker.

    CIMB’s Enhanced Virtual Assistant (EVA), the first chat-bot banking application in Asean, also won “Internet Banking Product of the Year” recently at a ceremony held in Tokyo.

    CIMB group consumer banking chief executive officer Samir Gupta said the best retail bank award was reflective of its continuous efforts to deliver great customer experience, in line with today’s consumer expectations and also preference for online and mobile banking.

    “This, coupled with CIMB’s strong Asean network, contributes to a seamless banking experience for over 12 million of our retail customers,” he said in a statement yesterday.

    CIMB EVA, on the converse, is the epitome of banking made simpler, more secure and more convenient, he said.

    “Customers can easily check their current or savings account balances, pay bills and perform mobile top-up through chat,” he said.

    The Asian Banker’s International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards Programme is the most rigorous, prestigious and transparent awards programme for consumer banking in Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, West Asia and Africa.

  • Baiduri receives ‘Bank of The Year’ award

    Baiduri receives ‘Bank of The Year’ award

    Baiduri Bank received the coveted Bank of The Year award from The Banker magazine, during an award ceremony in London.

    This achievement marks the fourth international banking award this year for Baiduri Bank. This is also the eleventh time that the bank has received this particular award. The Banker’s 17th annual Bank of The Year awards were presented at a gala black-tie dinner at the Hilton London Bankside, London on Wednesday, December 7. On hand to receive the award was Ti Eng Hui, Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank.

    This year, The Banker Awards took on a special meaning as it celebrated it’s 90th anniversary, making The Banker the longest running international banking title in the world.

    The Bank of The Year awards goes beyond data and figures as it looks for evidence of banks setting new standards for their local industries.

    The recognition of being named Bank of the Year in the country by The Banker is testament to the strong management, sound business model and prudent risk approach of the bank.

    Speaking on receiving the accolade, Ti Eng Hui said, “We are proud to be recognised as the Bank of the Year for Brunei from The Banker for the 11th time.

    Ti Eng Hui (centre), Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank, after receiving the ‘Bank of The Year 2016’ award. - BAIDURI BANK

    Ti Eng Hui (centre), Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank, after receiving the ‘Bank of The Year 2016’ award. –

    “We are delighted to conclude 2016 with this wonderful achievement. This year, we have made strides in the banking industry through our innovation and strong commitment, but it is because of our faithful employees as well as our loyal customers and partners that we are able to be the bank we are today.”

    The Banker Awards was attended by representatives from 149 countries, a reflection on the importance and significance banks put on winning The Banker’s Bank of The Year awards.

    In 2016, Baiduri Bank received three other international awards, the ‘Domestic Retail Bank Brunei 2016’ from the Asian Banking and Finance magazine, the ‘Best Banking Group 2016’ from World Finance magazine and the ‘World’s Best Emerging Markets Bank in Asia-Pacific for Brunei 2016’ from Global Finance.

    Baiduri Bank is proud to be associated with these leading international banking awards, the bank said in a statement.

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  • Oman Air wins Malaysian foreign airline of year award

    Oman Air wins Malaysian foreign airline of year award

    National carrier Oman Air won a prestigious airlines award in Malaysia, the airline announced on Wednesday. Oman Air was awarded the Foreign Airline of the Year by Sector to Middle East award at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Awards 2015.

    Oman Air was chosen based upon its achievements in 2015, including growth, sales performance, international recognition and service excellence.

    This latest recognition is among an ever- increasing list of awards for Oman Air, which overcame competition from other airlines operating in the Middle East, including last year’s winners.

    Gateway of choice

    The KLIA Awards has been in existence since 2006, in recognition of aviation partners’ contributions in achieving the vision of KLIA becoming the gateway of choice in the region.

    This year’s ceremony took place at the Sama Sama Hotel, KLIA, Petang, and the award was accepted by Oman Air’s Country Manager in Malaysia, Zainuddin Mohamed. Also present at the ceremony were Malaysian Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia Airports Chairman Tan Sri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah and Civil Aviation Department Director General Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, as well as other key personnel from the aviation industry.

    Commenting on the award, CEO of Oman Air Paul Gregorowitsch noted, “Oman Air is undertaking a very ambitious expansion programme, and it is gratifying to have our achievements and contribution to the industry recognized by KLIA. We continue to grow in all markets, including South East Asia, and our success is based on our consistently excellent product and on-board experience. Oman Air is always striving to “be the best”, and testament to this is our ever growing list of industry accolades and awards.”

  • Jewel Changi Airport wins prestigious Retail Real Estate Award at MAPIC Awards 2016

    Jewel Changi Airport wins prestigious Retail Real Estate Award at MAPIC Awards 2016

    Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel), a lifestyle destination being developed in the heart of Singapore Changi Airport, has been named Best Futura Shopping Centre at MAPIC Awards 2016 in Cannes, France – a prestigious retail real estate industry event which honours the world’s most exciting and innovative retail property projects.

    Developed by Jewel Changi Airport Trustee – a joint venture between Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand Mall Asia – Jewel is a mixed-use complex featuring a wide range of lifestyle offerings including a five-storey indoor garden, unique play attractions, comprehensive shopping and dining options, a hotel, and facilities for airport operations.

    Celebrating excellence, innovation and creativity in the global retail real estate industry, the MAPIC Awards, into its 21st run, saw a total of 180 entries from 40 countries. A newly-introduced category, the Best Futura Shopping Centre award recognises upcoming retail developments with outstanding architectural qualities and strong, original concepts. Other considerations include the innovative use of materials, integration with the environment and impact on the local community. Based on these evaluation criteria, Jewel emerged winner of the inaugural accolade.

    Designed by a consortium of consultants comprising Safdie Architects led by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie, as well as Benoy and local architects RSP, Jewel features a distinctive steel and glass facade, that will house a refreshing environment of lush greenery that are integrated with facilities and attractions.

    There are two main centrepiece attractions in Jewel – the Forest Valley, a huge five-storey garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs, and the 40-metre high Rain Vortex, currently the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The complex spans five storeys above ground and five basement storeys.

    Following the commencement of Jewel’s construction in end-2014, works on the five basement levels of the complex have been completed, and the focus going forward will be on the works above ground. Jewel is on track to open in early 2019.

    “The MAPIC Awards are one of the most prestigious accolades in the retail real estate industry and we are honoured to be a recipient this year. In developing Jewel, it is our vision to create a world-class destination that will enhance Singapore’s tourism appeal and augment Changi Airport’s position as a leading air hub in the world. With its unique features that will engage and entertain visitors, we aspire for Jewel to be a place of discovery and experiences for both local residents and international travellers. This award is a tremendous encouragement to the team and an affirmation of Jewel’s innovative design and concept,” said Ms Hung Jean, Chief Executive Officer, Jewel Changi Airport Devt.

  • Kia Soul Receives 2017 Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy Award

    Kia Soul Receives 2017 Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy Award

    Consumer Guide Automotive has awarded the Kia Soul one of its coveted Best Buy Awards for 2017 in the Subcompact Car segment, marking the third year in a row the fun-loving box car has received the award. Once again, the Soul’s funky personality resonated with the editors, along with its roomy interior, premium-looking cabin and long list of desirable features.

    “People gravitate toward the Soul because of its head-turning style, extensive feature content, and excellent value. Its practicality makes it a perfect fit for just about every type of lifestyle,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president product planning Kia Motors America. “Being recognized by Consumer Guide Automotive for a third consecutive year proves the Soul continues to be a crowd favorite, and with the new turbocharged version offered for 2017, we anticipate its popularity will surge to new heights.”

    For 2017, the Soul gains a 201-hp 1.6-liter turbocharged engine for more fun than ever. Though the 1.6-liter turbo engine adds 40 horsepower, fuel economy is 28 miles-per-gallon, city and highway combined1 —slightly better than the combined mileage of the 2.0-liter normally-aspirated 161-hp engine in the Soul Plus and in the Soul Base 1.6-liter, which produces 130 horsepower. Performance in the turbocharged Exclaim is further enhanced by the addition of a new 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which contributes to a more engaging driving experience. Other new options for the 2017 model year are convenience systems such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Detection. The 2017 Exclaim also gets standard UVO32 with e-Services with integrated Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

    Each year Consumer Guide Automotive editors select the best vehicles from 20 segments to receive Best Buy Awards, with vehicle price and value being major factors in their selection process. By prioritizing these key consideration points in the car-buying process, the Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy Awards serve a practical purpose to everyday car shoppers. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017, Consumer Guide Automotive is one of the most trusted names in the automobile industry.

     

  • Aceh wins three prizes in halal tourism category

    Aceh wins three prizes in halal tourism category

    Aceh Province has won three prizes in the National Halal Tourism Competition (KPHN) 2016, an official said.

    The three awards were in the categories of Muslim Friendly Airport–given to Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Banda Aceh, as well as best Muslim friendly cultural destination, and best tourist attraction for Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, said Reza Fahlevi, head of the Aceh cultural and tourism office, on Thursday.

    He expressed his gratitude to the people of Aceh for helping develop halal tourism in the province, and to the Central Government for supporting Aceh in its participating in the World Halal Travel Awards 2016 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

    “Alhamdulillah (Thank God), Aceh won prizes for three categories in competition with 117 nominees in 15 categories,” he remarked.

    The results of the competition were announced in Jakarta on Wednesday.

    The Aceh provincial administration seeks to improve its tourism industry to meet its 3As – Amenity, Accessibility, and Attraction– in order to transform the province into a world-class tourism destination.

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  • SM Seaside City Cebu recognized in ULI Philippine Healthy Places Awards

    SM Seaside City Cebu recognized in ULI Philippine Healthy Places Awards

    SM Prime’s SM Seaside City Cebu was recognized recently by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines Building Healthy Places Awards in the Commercial-Retail category.

    Building Healthy Places Awards recognize outstanding and innovative projects that add value to the community, promote healthy life choices and enhance the environment.

    SM Seaside City Cebu is the center of a future 30-hectare mixed-use masterplan which will hold office, residential, and hospitality components. It provides not only convenient retail, food and beverage outlets, services, and leisure activities, but also public transport access, outdoor roof-gardens, and a green inner courtyard in which social and communal activities can take place.

    The mall holds outlets for several physical and leisure activities, such as fitness centers, bowling-lanes and ice-skating. It also contains medical clinics, health-food outlets, drug-stores and spas. Outdoor playgrounds and water-playgrounds in the roof-garden provide physical outlets for kids, while a perimeter jogging path allows visitors, workers, and residents to stay fit.

    Aside from the mall’s content, its architecture aim to promote human interaction in the mall, which is considered critical to its success. SM Seaside City Cebu is not just a place to shop; it is designed to be the social hub of the local community, and the architecture aims to reflect this role, with its grand entrances, central courtyard, and sweeping gardens.

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  • Kitchenware boutique bags global honour

    Kitchenware boutique bags global honour

    KITCHEN Shop received the Global Innovation Award 2015 for Retail Excellence held in Chicago, making it the first global recipient from Malaysia.

    This also makes Kitchen Shop the first speciality shop to attain the award in this region.

    Katrin BJ Sdn Bhd managing director Jean Yeap said it was not only a triumphant success for the Kitchen Shop and Katrin BJ but they have also done Malaysia proud.

    “Since the launch of the IHA Global Innovation Award in 2000, there have been more than 320 Global Innovation Award retail award winners from 40 countries in six continents.

    “This is the first global award recipient from Malaysia.

    Inside the Kitchen Shop.

    Inside the Kitchen Shop.

    “Our Kitchen Shop at Great Eastern Mall competing against 25 great speciality shops in 23 countries achieved a landmark success for being the first for Malaysia and the first speciality shop to attain this award in this region,” said Yeap, in her speech.

    Their journey to win this award started in Chicago in 2013 when they were at the Chicago International Housewares Show.

    “Our group managing director M.H. Basri saw the newsletter on the GIA awards and he planted in his mind that he will build the next kitchen shop to win this award,” said Yeap.

    Apart from the physical store, Kitchen Shop was selected for this global award based on the following criteria – overall mission statement; vision and strategy; store design and layout; visual merchandising, displays and window displays; marketing, advertising and promotions; customer service and staff training and innovation.

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  • ABK named ‘Best Retail Bank in Kuwait’

    ABK named ‘Best Retail Bank in Kuwait’

    Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) was recently recognized as the ‘Best Retail Bank in the Middle East’ by the Asian Banker; one of the most prestigious awards programs in the industry of financial services and one of Asia’s leading consultancies in financial services research, benchmarking and intelligence. The award was received by Stewart Lockie, General Manager Retail Banking at ABK, during an awards ceremony that was held on March 16th, at the W Hotel in Hong Kong.

    The ‘Best Retail Bank in the Middle East’ award reaffirms the Bank’s outstanding initiatives and  solid performance and demonstrates its unwavering efforts to provide superior services to its customers through the implementation of its ‘Simpler Banking’ strategy, which focuses on creating a simpler banking model offering convenience, speed and security.

    Stewart Lockie with Retail Banking staff

    Commenting on the Bank’s achievement, Stewart Lockie, General Manager Retail Banking at ABK said, “It is an honor to be recognized as the ‘Best Retail Bank in the Middle East’ by the Asian Banker since we received the award last year for Most Improved Retail Bank. ABK made a tremendous effort throughout 2015 to make substantial enhancements and developments to its services and systems with the aim of to simplify the banking process. I would like to thank the judging committee for realizing this effort and rewarding us for it and I would also like to congratulate the Retail Banking team on this award, and thank them for their continuous hard work and diligence.”

    ABK recently deployed a series of new enhancements to its systems as part of its ‘Simpler Banking’ strategy, such as reducing ‘End to End Loan’ processing time from six days to one day and the account opening process from nine hours to six minutes. It also introduced ‘Biometric Verification’ as an enhancement to its mobile banking system, as an additional security measure, in addition to several other developments.

    The Bank will continue to build on this great success and introduce further developments and enhancements that serve to differentiate ABK‘s services and support its ‘Simpler Banking’ strategy, with focus on delivering more convenience, security and speed.

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  • Indonesians share memorable Twitter moments to mark 10th anniversary

    Indonesians share memorable Twitter moments to mark 10th anniversary

    The Twitter logo appears on an updated phone post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The social media site famous for its 140-character “tweet” limit turned 10 years old on Monday, having evolved from what was originally billed as a microblogging site into one of the internet’s most influential means of communication.

    Online social networking service Twitter on Monday celebrated its 10th anniversary, gathering many tweeters in Jakarta, including some of the nation’s most prominent figures.

    During the celebration, they shared their most memorable experiences with the microblogging site using the hashtag #KarenaTwitter (because of Twitter).

    Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who spoke at the event on Monday evening, said Twitter had allowed him to express himself freely and to talk people who he might never have had an opportunity to meet with otherwise.

    Lukman said he signed up to the microblogging site in 2009 and admitted it was his most favorite social media platform.

    “After some comparison, Twitter is more enjoyable because of its short word count of only 140 characters and you can have a dialogue and unlimited communication,” he said.

    The minister added that the social media platform had exposed him to a wealth of information on a daily basis and prompted him to continue to learn new things, be more engaged and enrich his general knowledge.

    “Because of Twitter I feel stupid. There are many things I didn’t know about. The more people I meet on Twitter, the more I realize that I don’t know so many things,” Lukman said.

    Despite having almost 200,000 followers, the minister said his account was not yet verified.

    Singer Andien, who performed at the event, said Twitter had enabled her to get to know her now husband, Irfan Wahyudi. “This is a true story – without Twitter I may not have married my husband,” she said.

    Andien said she met her husband in 2002 but they did not become close until 2009, after she joined the social media platform. Andien explained that when she lost her cell phone that year, she messaged all her friends on Twitter with her new phone number. Among them was Irfan. After that, she and Irfan started to communicate more often and eventually grew closer. The couple married in May last year.

    Twitter Indonesia’s business head Roy Simangunsong thanked the Indonesian Twitter community for their continued enthusiasm. He said 77 percent of Twitter users in Indonesia were active daily tweeters. Of that amount, over half send out two tweets per day on average.

    Twitter had been witness to many historical moments in Indonesia, Roy said. Today, the wide range of interests and public sentiments can also be seen in the various hashtags that are used, he added.

    “From simple things like how they find a mate to gaining the confidence to be able to do business and become part of the everyday world using Twitter, we can see how Twitter has become an important element of Indonesian society,” Roy said.

  • Indonesia Wins Award in Berlin Travel Fair

    Indonesia Wins Award in Berlin Travel Fair

    Berlin (Antara)- Indonesias pavilion featuring a Phinisi tall ship, Indonesia legendary seafaring icon, has won the Best Exhibitor Award for the Asian, Australian and Oceania region in the Internationale Tourismus-Bourse (ITB) Berlin held in Messe Berlin, Germany, on March 9-13, 2016.

    Tourism Minister Arief Yahya here, Saturday evening, said he was proud that Indonesias pavilion won the award in the worlds largest travel fair.

    Indonesia presented a very colorful pavilion featuring the Phinisi with a beautiful view of Raja Ampat waters and small isles as its background.

    The booth accommodated 101 tourism-related sellers, a coffee corner offering free coffee testers to the fairs visitors, a silhouette artist, and several dancers and two models wearing “unbelievable costumes” from Malang Carnival.

    Visitors to the Indonesian pavilion measuring 693 m2, were entertained and served by German-speaking officers.

    “We are proud that Indonesias pavilion has won the best exhibition award for the Asian, Australian, and Oceania region,” Nia Niscaya of the Indonesian tourism ministry, said.

    Earlier, Wonderful Indonesia tourism branding also won awards respectively in Los Angeles, and Victoria, Hong Kong.

    Hernowo Muliawan of the PCO Karma Wibangga design team, also expressed his happiness that the booth that he and his team team had designed came out as a winner in the ITB Berlin.

    The booths design featuring Phinisi introduced Indonesia as major maritime tourist destination having over 17 islands, interesting coastal culture and arts, and amazing maritime natural resources.

    Last year, Indonesias pavilion also won a similar award at the 2015 ITB Berlin.

    This year, over 10 thousand exhibitors from 187 countries

    showcased the latest products and trends related to the global tourism industry at 1,069 stands.

    In 2013, Indonesia was the ITBs official partner country, and had the privilege of being the host of the opening ceremony.

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  • Three Indonesians Receive UK Alumni Award

    Three Indonesians Receive UK Alumni Award

    Three Indonesian nationals, who graduated from universities in UK, received awards from the UK government at the British Council’s Education Alumni Award 2016 held on Thursday, March 3, 2016.

    The three graduates are Betty Purwandar, director of information technology at the University of Indonesia, Theresia Alit Widyasari, young entrepreneur and founder of three clothing companies, and Ahmad Fuadi, author of Negeri 5 Menara (The Land of Five Towers) novel.

    Betty was awarded as the best alumni in the professional achievement category. After completing her computer science doctorate program at Southampton University, Betty returned home to work at the University of Indonesia (UI). Betty was considered as the best alumni for helping UI to reform and improve information technology services in the university.

    “I learned how to study the World Wide Web and how the web can have positive impacts on humanity,” Betty said.

    Theresia was awarded as the best alumni in the entrepreneurship category for facilitating young generations to design, produce and market their products through her brands. Theresia, who majored in fashion business at Westminster University, said that living and studying overseas had broadened her horizon and sharpened her business skills.

    Despite doubts over the future of the fashion industry, Theresia remains confident with three of her brands, Bloop, Endorse and Urbie.

    “I learned that being good is not enough. You have to be excellent and creative,” Theresia said in her speech delivered by her colleague, since she could not attend the event.

    In addition to Betty and Theresia, Ahmad was awarded as the best alumni since his novel was considered to have positive social impacts on many people. With his readers, Ahmad founded a non-profit community called `Komunitas Menara` that provides education access and books to poor people.

    Ahmad said that the award was a proof of how a teacher can be influential to students.

    “My teacher told me to study anywhere, to go outside and not to limit myself. The advice gave me quite a push,” Ahmad, who was graduated from Royal Halloway, University of London, said.

    The Education UK Alumni Award is an event to commemorate the UK Education Month and to tighten Indonesian and UK partnership in the higher education sector. The event is also held in nine other countries, namely Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States.

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  • Mall of Qatar wins award at Asia Retail Congress

    Mall of Qatar wins award at Asia Retail Congress

    Mall of Qatar has won the Retail Leadership Award in the real estate category at Asia Retail Congress 2016 held recently in Mumbai, India.

    On behalf of Ramez al-Khayyat, managing director of UrbaCon Trading & Contracting (UCC), the award was received by Siva Kumar, estimation and proposal director of UCC, and Patrick Hage-Chahine, PR and events manager at Mall of Qatar.

    “Being developed by UCC’s Doha branch, this super-regional mall spread over 5.4mn sqft of area combines incredible shopping with captivating live entertainment and leisure options,” according to a statement. “An innovative and inspiring architecture, easy accessibility, fascinating new live entertainment concepts and signature restaurants will all capture the imagination of the nation when the Mall of Qatar opens its doors in the third quarter of 2016.”

    The Asia Retail Congress recognises best practices in the retail industry across categories such as fashion, consumer durables, mobile & telecom services, food, travel & hospitality, health and real estate.

    Speaking on the occasion, al-Khayyat said: “We are privileged to receive this esteemed recognition from the Asia Retail Congress. This recognition provides a great incentive to continue our journey to provide best-in-class services and create new benchmarks in the retail industry.

    “One of the major distinguishing architectural features of the Mall of Qatar is the 30m-high, 6,000sqm glassed dome roof that illuminates a captivating central arena called The Oasis, which will become the heart of the project. The Oasis will host live entertainment shows performed daily on a revolving circular stage, set in a pond surrounded by interactive dancing fountains.”

    Expected to receive a footfall of 20mn customers annually, the Mall of Qatar will feature 7,000 underground and surface car parking spaces, 500 shops, including over 100 restaurants, and a 19-screen cineplex, as well as a 200-bedroom luxury and fashion hotel operated by Curio, a Collection by Hilton, the statement adds.

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  • Garuda Indonesia Attains “5-Star Airline” Award for second year running

    Garuda Indonesia Attains “5-Star Airline” Award for second year running

    National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has been awarded the ultimate “5-Star Airline” rating from Skytrax for a second year running. This year’s award was presented to the President & CEO of Garuda Indonesia, M. Arif Wibowo, by Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, at the Changi Exhibition Center during Singapore Airshow 2016.

    Indonesian Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Indonesian Ambassador for Singapore I Gusti Ngurah Swajayam, and President Commissioner of Garuda Indonesia Jusman Syafii Djamal were present during the ceremony. Minister Rini Soemarno expressed her highest regards “for all Garuda management and staff, their hard work, and their success in maintaining the quality and standards that exemplify a “5-Star Airline”.”
    “We believe that recognition of Garuda Indonesia as a “5-Star Airline” for consecutive years will not only help to strengthen Garuda Indonesia as a global brand, but also support our efforts at “Nation Branding”, as laid out in the Indonesian government’s strategic program,” Rini added.

    As the national flag carrier, Rini said, Garuda Indonesia was succesfully representing the Republik of Indonesia with this achievement. “But success also brings a larger challenge for Garuda Indonesia, to continuously improve the quality of their service, and deliver this service to all customers on the ground and in the air.”

    The Minister finished by suggesting that the global achievement would be followed by better financial results, and extended her appreciation for Garuda Indonesia’s turnaround financial results which ended in net profit for 2015.
    M. Arif Wibowo, President & CEO, Garuda Indonesia, expressed that “The 5-Star rating reflects the hard work and deep commitment from both management and staff at Garuda who continuously deliver their best efforts to maintain and improve the company’s performance in all business aspects.

    “This achievement will be an important milestone for Garuda Indonesia in 2016, as well as being a challenge for everybody in Garuda Indonesia Group to constantly improve performance and deliver service excellence to all customers,” Arif said.
    The “5-Star Airline” certification was awarded following the ongoing Skytrax Audit, with comprehensive points covering all service aspects; pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight, including ground handling services, lounge, seat and cabin comfort, inflight meals and inflight entertainment.

    Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said that the “5-Star Airline” rating awarded to Garuda Indonesia for two years consecutively was a result keeping consistently high service standards.
    “In the globally competitive airline industry, Garuda Indonesia proved that they can survive and even perform to the highest values and service standards. The consistency of product and service quality is the most important part in a 5-Star certification audit, and we proudly announce that Garuda’s aircraft are offering the variety of classes that is a requirement of a 5-Star Airline,” Edward added.

    Spurred on by a strong commitment from the airline’s management and staff to deliver best service, Garuda Indonesia’s performance continues to earn global recognition. In 2013, Skytrax awarded Garuda Indonesia for “The World’s Best Economy Class”. This continued in 2014, with recognition as “The World’s Best Cabin Staff”, a “5-Star Airline”, and 7th rank in “The World’s Top 10 Airlines”.

    At the World Airline Awards, Paris Airshow 2015, Garuda Indonesia was once again named “The World’s Best Cabin Staff”, based on a global customer satisfaction survey conducted by Skytrax of more than 18 million passengers. The survey, which covers 245 international airlines, is held every year and measures standards across 41 key performance indicators of airline products and services.

    As part of a fleet revitalization program throughout 2016, the Garuda Indonesia Group will receive 16 new aircraft in total; 1 Boeing 777-300ER, 4 Airbus A330-300, 4 ATR72-600, and also 8 Airbus A320 to be operated by Citilink. By the end of 2016, Garuda Indonesia Group will operate a total of 188 aircraft; 144 aircraft for Garuda Indonesia and 44 aircraft for Citilink.
    To continue the positive growth achieved during its “Quick Wins” program in 2015, Garuda Indonesia will enter a “Sky Beyond” program for 2016 aiming at rapid company expansion, focusing on three ‘core strategies’ – company group synergy, effectiveness and efficiency, and service enhancement – to accelerate company achievement and performance.

    As part of its company synergy, the Garuda Indonesia Group joined Singapore Airshow, Asia’s largest aerospace and defence event. This was Garuda Indonesia’s first participation as a Group, as only a subsidiary, the Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, had participated in the past.

    The presence of Garuda Indonesia Group at the Singapore Airshow follows Group strategy to develop brand image, to elaborate potential business, to enhance business relations with stakeholders, and to boost up the awareness to Garuda Indonesia Group’s strategic role as Indonesia’s trade envoy in international level.
    At Singapore Airshow 2016, the Garuda Indonesia Group, through Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, looks to several short- and long-term business contracts, with a value of nearly USD 100 milion.

    Garuda Indonesia currently has 6 subsidiaries with diverse business sectors; Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, specialized in integrated aircraft maintenance, including engine and aircraft components repair service; Citilink, a low cost carrier (LCC) airline projected for budget traveller; Aerowisata, specialized in hospitality, transportation, catering and travel agent service; Gapura, specialized in ground handling service, supoorted by cargo and warehousing service; Asyst, specialized in IT and consultation service; and Abacus – which now has transformed to Sabre Travel Network Indonesia – specialized in technology provider service for global travel and tourism.

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  • BNOW.org In Preparation for Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016

    BNOW.org In Preparation for Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016

    Bnow.org  (Bangkok Now), a Bangkok networking community for startups, SMEs  and a registered social enterprise based in Thailand, announced during a media group interview today that preparations are under way for the Entrepreneur Now Awards  (ENA) 2016 scheduled to be held in October 2016.

    Last year, ten awards were presented to various Thai and non-Thai entrepreneurs and the event was presided over by Khun Salinee Wangtal, Director General of the Office of the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP).

    Entrepreneur Now Awards is a program recognizing enterprising people and teams operating in the kingdom of Thailand. The objective of ENA is to promote entrepreneurism, attract investors to Thailand and ASEAN and revitalize the Thai economy and SME sector.

    “Last year ENA attracted over 100 Thai and non-Thai entrepreneurs with a registered business in Thailand, representing a wide range of industries including tech, F&B, health, fashion, education, FMCG, sports and construction, among others,” said Pacharee Pantoomano Pfirsch, Founder of  Bnow.org and Chairwoman of ENA, adding that this year she is looking  forward to see more entries.

    “According to the Federation of Thai Industries, there were about 2.7 million SMEs and start-ups in Thailand, providing more than 10 million jobs nationwide. These businesses are estimated to account for nearly 40% of the country’s GDP. FTI added that for the Thai economy to grow with stability, the country needs to balance it by boosting SME share of GDP to 40% in the future,” said Pacharee.

    “As a social enterprise, ENA aims to support the start-up and SME community in Thailand. We want to garner more involvement from the various chambers of commerce in Thailand, including the start-up community. We believe that working collaboratively with such organizations will facilitate the recognition of enterprising people and teams. Ultimately, it creates a better market place for all,” added Pacharee.

    “Our partners this year include Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, The Irish Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, GMASA, Creative Bangkok, Connecting Founders, Startup Bangkok, Travel Daily News and Brand Now.  More partners are expected to join and we will also be announcing the working committee and judges at the press conference slated for mid-2016.”

    This year, BNOW.org is organizing a series of knowledge sharing events related to SMEs and Startups, which will culminate at The ENA 2016 Awards Night in October 2016.

    These include:

    –  Feb 18th / 6.30pm-9pm at FCCT: Insight from investors and serial entrepreneurs: Why some start-ups success while others fail

    –  Mar 19th/11.30am-5pm at DraftBoard, Chidlom: Geek Girl Gathering:  A Workshop on Digital Marketing and Coding for non-coders

    –  April 26th/  Discussion: Tips and Advice for SMEs on “How to Export to Other Markets”

    –  May 26th/ 9am-5pm: Entrepreneur Summit at Bangkok University School of Entrepreneurship and Management

    –  June/ Announcement of ENA 2016

    –  July –Aug / Accepting Nominations for ENA 2016

    –  Aug/ Walkabout Bangkok : Several companies will open their doors to visitors who can meet the founders, entrepreneurial team, and get insights from some of most creative and innovative organizations in Thailand.

    –  Sept/ Networking Night for ENA nominees and judges

    –  October/ ENA Award Night 2016

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