Yozua Makes, CEO and Founder of PT Plataran Indonesia, named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2023 Indonesia

• Yozua Makes is the first entrepreneur from the hospitality industry to be named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Indonesia in the program’s 21-year history.
• Mirza Adityaswara, Vice Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Financial Services Authority graced the Awards Ceremony as the Guest of Honor.
• Three other category awards were also given during the Gala, namely, High-Impact Entrepreneur Award, Special Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Innovative Entrepreneur Award for Serving Rural Community.
• This year, EY Indonesia also presented an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize the achievements of an outstanding Indonesian entrepreneur of our time.

JAKARTA, 15 November 2023. Yozua Makes, CEO & Founder of PT Plataran Indonesia, was named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ (EOY) 2023 Indonesia at the Awards Ceremony held on Tuesday, 14 November 2023 at Hotel Mulia Senayan, Jakarta. He will represent Indonesia at the annual EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2024 Awards program next year in Monte Carlo, Monaco and vie for the global entrepreneurship award alongside other EOY national winners from more than 60 countries.

EY EOY program is a prestigious awards program recognizing and honoring unstoppable entrepreneurs who continue to elevate success to the next level through product and service innovations, while also providing opportunities that positively impact the nation’s economy and communities

In addition to the Entrepreneur Of The Year award,  three other category awards  were presented, namely, High-Impact Entrepreneur Award to Gibran El Farizy, CEO & Co-Founder of PT Multidaya Teknologi Nusantara (eFishery),  Special Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit to Andreas Wihardja & Hendry Setiawan, Chairman, Founder & Vice Chairman, Co-Founder of PT Duta Abadi Primantara, and Innovative Entrepreneur Award for Serving Rural Community to Steven Wongsoredjo, CEO & Founder of PT Krakatau Karya Abadi (Super). This year, EY Indonesia also conferred the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award to Lim Hariyanto Wijaya Sarwono, Founder of Harita Group.

Mirza Adityaswara, Vice Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Financial Services Authority in his remarks during the Gala, shared his appreciation for the continuous recognition of remarkable entrepreneurs through the EY EOY program.

This year’s awards recipients were determined by the EOY Independent Panel of Judges, namely,  Prof. Dr. Budi Frensidy – Chairman of Academic Senate, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, Otto Toto Sugiri – CEO & Founder, PT DCI Indonesia Tbk and EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Indonesia, Dr. Prodjo Sunarjanto – President Director, PT Adi Sarana Armada Tbk, Mohammad Noor Rachman – Commissioner, Indonesia Stock Exchange, and Ir. Simon Subrata, SE – Senior Partner, Gan Kapital Group and Vice President, PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk.

Peter Surja, Country Managing Partner of EY Indonesia, in his welcoming remarks at the Awards Gala, stated that this year’s EOY theme is “The Art of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurs Who Demonstrate Purpose, Vision, and Success Through Impactful Innovation”. There are many successful entrepreneurs in the world, however, it takes an artful balance of passion, determination, character, and skills to create businesses that are capable of addressing today’s most complex challenges.

He further stated in his remarks:

“Through EOY, we are driven to inspire and support entrepreneurs to continue on with their growth journey through their innovative services and products and create long-term and sustained value that brings positive impact on the economy and to the society. We are proud to have eleven innovative entrepreneurs who create masterpieces of entrepreneurial art, and tonight, we honor them in the 21st year of organizing EOY in Indonesia, following the resounding success of previous programs.”

Partnering with PT Bank Central Asia Tbk, the sponsor of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Indonesia 2023, EY Indonesia believes that recognizing and honoring visionary entrepreneurs and their achievements will significantly contribute to the growth of business opportunities in the country.  

In her speech during the Awards Gala, Vera Eve Lim, Director of BCA said:

“As a bank that places great emphasis on the continuous innovation, BCA fully supports entrepreneurs in playing a pivotal role to drive Indonesia's economic growth. We are pleased to support the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Indonesia 2023, whose mission aligns with PT Bank Central Asia Tbk's commitment to supporting local entrepreneurs. We are honored to be their loyal partners as they navigate complex challenges on their business journey. We hope that this event inspires a broader community of entrepreneurs to embrace innovation and contribute to the prosperity of our nation.”

Yozua Makes, upon receiving the award, said:

“This prestigious award is special for me. I'm a true believer of entrepreneurship, which I also instill in my team, who I call them as my entrepreneurial staff because they are all entrepreneur from gardener to president director. My first thanks to EY to invite me here to join this stringent competition. My second thanks to Indonesia, as Plataran's DNA comprise of three aspects: nature, culture, and community which we strongly believe to build Indonesia for Indonesia Emas, we will need these three aspects in the entrepreneurship beside technology. And last but not least my family, who are witnessing this moment with me, tonight. We at Plataran are very proud to use our tagline, National Pride Company, True Indonesian Icon, and Hospitality with Impact."

A true Indonesian icon, Plataran’s vision is to contribute to Indonesia and Indonesians by showcasing the rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage of this remarkable archipelago to the world. Focusing on the premium market, Plataran is the country’s only integrated hospitality group with nine hotels and resorts, dining venues, catering services, nine vessels, and two national parks – spread across Java, Bali, and Komodo areas.

Yozua was selected among 11 finalists from 9 companies by an independent judging panel, based on their merits in fulfilling the four globally benchmarked criteria, namely entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose, and impact.  A full list of the EY Indonesia Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Finalists is presented below (sorted alphabetically by name):

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is a major business awards program that has extended to more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries globally. It is the premier designation for world-class business leaders and celebrates entrepreneurs that lead successful and creative businesses. Since its inception in 2001 in Indonesia, the program has honored over 200 Indonesian entrepreneurs for their accomplishments and services to the business industry and society.

Further information on EY Indonesia EOY program is available at www.ey.com/id/eoy.

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About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/eoy

About PT Bank Central Asia Tbk

BCA is one of the leading commercial banks in Indonesia with the core business of transaction banking. BCA also offers a full range of financial services in consumer, SME, commercial and corporate segments. As of March 2023, BCA has the privilege of serving more than 36 million customer accounts, processing around 77 million of daily transactions through a network of 1,247 branches; 18,348 ATMs as well as the 24-hour internet & mobile banking systems; supported by 24/7 Halo BCA contact center. BCA's presence is complemented by a number of subsidiaries focusing on vehicle financing, sharia banking, securities, general and life insurance, digital bank, remittance as well as venture capital business. BCA is committed to building lasting relationship with customers, putting people first, and making positive impact on society at large. With around 25,000 employees, BCA's vision is to be the bank of choice and a major pillar of the Indonesia economy.