AmBank BizRACE 2018: The Finale

After eight months and close to 1,000 registrations, the AmBank BizRACE 2018 has come to a rousing end.

From the large number of companies that applied to take part in the competition, 100 of them were shortlisted at the end of last year for the initial round where they pitched for a spot in the Top 35.

The Top 35 was then whittled down to the Top 15, and later, the Top 5. Pitch sessions to determine the Top 3 were conducted at Menara AmBank on Monday (May 14) morning.

The Top 3 were announced later that evening at the AmBank BizRACE Awards Night that was held at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

The guests included representatives from the Top 35 companies, AmBank BizRACE judges and sponsors, as well as members of the AmBank’s senior management team.

Here are the winners:

AmBank Business of the Year 2018: Segamat Panel Boards

AmBank BizRACE First Runner-up 2018: Plus Solar Systems

AmBank BizRACE Second Runner-up 2018: The Boom Beverage

“We would like to congratulate the winners for successfully making it all the way to this stage,” said AmBank Group managing director of business banking, Christopher Yap.

He added that these awards served as a ‘well-deserved acknowledgement for the SMEs’, and that the bank was pleased to have been able to recognise and showcase their talents and business plans through the AmBank BizRACE competition.

The grand prize winner went home with a media package worth RM315,000, while the first and second runner-up won media packages worth RM 175,000 and RM105,000 respectively.

Companies that did not make it to the Top 3 did not go home empty-handed – the Top 5 will be going on a field trip to China to learn best practices from internationally renowned organisations, while the Top 15 finalists are winners of a senior management development programme at a prestigious university overseas, as well as a one-year subscription for the Harvard ManageMentor Digital Programme, both sponsored by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).

Previous coverage: Top 15 SMEs From The AmBank BizRACE Spill The Beans

The Top 15 finalists also received culture and leadership development training from top business coaches and entrepreneurs, in addition to and one-on-one coaching sessions over a period of two months.

AmBank Group chairman, Tan Sri Azman Hashim commended the AmBank BizRACE’s Top 35 in his speech:

“You have proven that you have all the qualities to be very successful – resilience, passion, willingness to make sacrifices. I really wish you all the best.”

He also reminded those gathered to think big, saying that while it is not possible to succeed all the time, they must never stop giving it their all. “Don’t get disappointed and give up,” said Azman.

Meanwhile, category award winners were chosen by the AmBank BizRACE sponsors, and are as follows:

1. K-Pintar Executive Education Award: Plus Solar Systems

Prize: Two seats to the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, Germany worth over RM100,000.

2. Digi Innovation Award: SalesCandy

Prize: Digi corporate solutions worth over RM10,000, comprising 7 units of the Samsung Note 8, and a suite of services from Digi including the Go Digi Plan, DSMS blasting service, Vehicle Tracking Solution, and an exclusive D-House digital working experience visit.