Business leaders among nominees for Singapore 9

With Singapore’s National Day falling on August 9, Yahoo! Singapore has decided to recognise Singaporeans in nine fields for leaving their mark in the past year. The project, called “Singapore 9“, has 45 nominees in the following categories: Business, politics, arts, entertainment, sports, media, charities, thinkers and young faces.

Nominees who get the most votes will be declared winner of their category. The Band of Nine will be unveiled before National Day.

On the business side, the nominees includes two entrepreneurs — Dr Jannie Chan and Cynthia Chua (see profiles below).

Rounding up the list would be David Gerald, president and CEO of the Securities Investors Association of Singapore, deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Heng Swee Keat, minister of education. To vote for your favourite nominee, visit this page.

We include below profiles of the entrepreneurs from Yahoo!:

Dr Jannie Chan, founder of watch retailer The Hour Glass Ltd

Dato’ Dr Jannie Chan is one of Singapore’s most successful entrepreneurs. Together with her husband, she founded watch retailer The Hour Glass Ltd in 1979 and as its managing director, oversaw its expansion throughout Asia-Pacific. For the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2011, the company made a profit of S$43 million. She was named one of the 50 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in 1997, and in 2009, she was the first woman to receive Enterprise Asia’s APEA Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She has played a major role in championing the retail industry. She is the president of the Singapore Retailers Association, Chairman of the Retail Academy of Singapore and Chairman of the Retail Industry Skills and Training Council. And if none of that is enough, she is also the founder and current president of the Women’s Business Connection and chairman of the Commonwealth Business Women Leaders Network.

Cynthia Chua, who runs Browhaus, Mask Strip,Qi Mantra, Beauty Emporium and House, Barracks, Camp, Skinny Pizza and Tippling Club

Cynthia Chua is the founder and owner of the Spa Esprit Group, the company behind many well known beauty and F&B brands in Singapore. Established in 1996, it includes businesses such as Browhaus, Mask Strip,Qi Mantra, Beauty Emporium and House, Barracks, Camp, Skinny Pizza and Tippling Club. Chua has made the brands stand out with innovative concepts and designs. The group has expanded overseas and now has presence in Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, London and Shanghai. The businesses have introduced many ‘firsts’ in Singapore, including hot stone massages, a herbal lab and a men-only waxing service.

We congratulate Jannie and Cynthia on their nominations.

Who do you think deserves to win? Do share your thoughts!