Posted Monday 16 January 2017
Kingston University alumnus Tan Sri Francis Yeoh was awarded the Capri Legend Humanitarian Award last month in recognition of his philanthropic endeavours through music. The Malaysian entrepreneur was presented the award during the Capri Hollywood Film Festival late last year. Previous recipients of the award include Oscar-winning director James Cameron.
"It is a true honour to be awarded the Capri Legend Award," Tan Sri Francis said. "We cannot underestimate the place of the arts in today's global society and I'm extremely proud to be amongst those recognised for their support."
Tan Sri Francis, who completed a BA in civil engineering at Kingston University in 1978, champions the arts and co-founded the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. He is Regional Chairman of International Friends of the Louvre. Having become managing director of his family's construction firm YTL at the age of just 24, Tan Sri Francis soon expanded the company into a global utilities specialist with revenues of more than £3 billion pounds a year.
Under Tan Sri Francis's leadership, YTL has built hospitals, universities, homes, hotels, office blocks and shopping malls. It was the first independent power company in Malaysia and built a high-speed rail network, in the process becoming the first non-Japanese company to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
"The engineering degree equipped me to take on my father's company after graduation and trained me to think out-of-the-box in growing YTL to become what it is today," he said. "Kingston was the incubator through which my God-given little creative talents and potential were initially unlocked, nurtured and that have now found their true voices with humility in entrepreneurialism and business leadership," he added.
Tan Sri Francis, who was ranked as one of Asia's 25 Most Powerful and Influential Business Personalities by Fortune and Business Week in 2004, advocates Godly stewardship of business. He is also on the advisory councils of London Business School, Wharton School and INSEAD. Kingston University awarded Tan Sri Francis an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering in 2004, and in 2006 he received a CBE for his contribution to economic relations between Malaysia and the UK.
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