HMI Medical’s group CEO Chin Wei Jia is EY’s 24th Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2025 Singapore. The award was presented at the dinner held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore on Oct 17.
“I’m truly honoured to receive this award and to represent Singapore on such a global stage. This is more than a personal milestone; it is a recognition of the people and communities who have been part of this journey,” says Chin. “For me, entrepreneurship has always been about serving with purpose and using business as a force for good. At the heart of it, it is about people and the communities we build together.”
Chin joined HMI Medical, which was founded in 1998 by her mother, executive chairman and managing director Dr Gan See Khem, in 2002, during a period of corporate restructuring.
At the time, the business was a two-hospital operation in Singapore and Malacca, which was struggling after the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and the Sept 11 attacks in 2001.
Since then, Chin has launched market-first healthcare services, turned around loss-making operations, and expanded the group’s footprint through ambulatory and specialist care centres.
Today, HMI Medical is a leading integrated healthcare group with operations across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and has over 25 years of experience.
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The group delivers comprehensive and personalised health care services to over three million patients annually through its two hospitals, two ambulatory care centres, 26 specialist centres, 40 HMI OneCare clinics, executive health screening centres and its network of 2,000 panel clinics.
In his citation, Saurav Bhattacharyya, chairman of Action Community for Entrepreneurship, applauded Chin’s efforts to turn the business around, calling it an “extraordinary transformation”.
Noting Chin’s vision to make quality healthcare accessible and to empower healthier communities through preventive health and healthcare education, Bhattacharyya described Chin’s journey as an “inspiring” one.
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Lee Chuan Teck, executive chairman of Enterprise Singapore and chairperson of the judging panel, praised Chin’s “visionary leadership” in transforming a second-generation business through “bold corporate and ecosystem strategies” and a “purpose to drive change for a more sustainable future of health care”.
“HMI’s strategic focus on preventive health, health tech and community outreach reflects her pursuit of innovation, democratising accessibility to private health care services, while empowering communities to take responsibility for health,” says Lee.
To Chin, entrepreneurship has “never been just about building a business”. “It’s about using business as a force for good and making a difference where it matters,” she says. “What’s most important is how we give back by creating opportunities, supporting people along the way, and helping the communities around us grow stronger.”
Class of 2025
Chin, who is the category winner for Health Care, beat three other category winners and will go on to compete with global contenders in Monaco at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year award in June next year.
The three other category winners are: Patrick Cheo, CEO of Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group, who won in the category of Education Services; Kelvin Lim, executive chairman, executive director and group managing director of LHN Group, who won in the category of Real Estate; and Carolyn Choo, CEO and managing director of Worldwide Hotels, who won in the Hospitality Services category.
The four category winners were selected from over 50 nominations by an independent judging panel. They were based on their merits in fulfilling the four globally benchmarked criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose and impact.
“Be they founders or second-generation business owners, the four winners helm homegrown brands that have thrived through times of change and economic uncertainties,” says Enterprise Singapore’s Lee.
“They demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial grit, innovation and resilience in not just overcoming challenges, but transforming their businesses through decisive strategies and seizing breakthrough opportunities,” he adds. “In doing so, they are helping to shape and elevate their respective industries, and creating broader socioeconomic impact through contributing back to the community, underpinned by a strong sense of purpose.”
Liew Nam Soon, EY Asia East deputy regional managing partner, Asean managing partner and Singapore and Brunei managing partner, Ernst & Young Solutions LLP, called the winning entrepreneurs “trailblazers, innovators and disruptors who shape their businesses with mastery to realise bold ambitions”.
“Collectively, the winners helm homegrown companies with a combined history of over 120 years in Singapore. This speaks to the important socioeconomic role that entrepreneurs play in job creation, industry innovation and quality of life — and underscores our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Singapore for the last 24 years,” he adds in his speech.
In his speech, Minister for National Development, Chee Hong Tat, shared how entrepreneurs play key roles in shaping their companies, their industries, the society and Singapore’s business ecosystem. Chee was the guest of honour at the gala.
“Entrepreneurs innovate, push existing boundaries, and lead ahead of the curve,” says Chee, referring to LHN’s Lim’s example of redesigning under-utilised properties into co-living and co-working spaces for modern needs. “This is innovation through resourcefulness — using what we already have more efficiently and sustainably, and finding new value in existing assets.”
He notes that businesses like Worldwide Hotels, which support the community, demonstrate how business growth and giving back can complement each other. “Businesses that act with purpose to do right and do good will build stronger relationships with their stakeholders, and this trust is what fuels continued success in the long run.”
Supporting companies is a ‘key priority’ for government
Supporting the country’s companies and helping its businesses thrive is a “key priority” for the government, says Chee. One way this is achieved is through grants and incentives, he adds.
“This is an important area of work for our economic agencies. Grants and incentives can provide businesses with additional capital to invest in growth and innovation,” he said. “However, we know that grants and incentives, while they are important, these alone would not be enough. It is critical for the government to also provide a pro-enterprise environment, so that our businesses can flourish.”
To this end, Chee proposed that the government work together with businesses to establish a “win-win partnership”.
“As businesses, you are more familiar with the pain points and areas for improvement. But on your own, you do not have the authority to change the rules and processes. The government has the power to do so, but we may not always know which specific rule is causing problems and should be amended,” he explains.
Beyond simplifying rules to encourage a pro-enterprise movement, the government’s goal is to “build a culture that supports innovation and risk-taking”, adds Chee.
“We want businesses and our government agencies to have the confidence to experiment, knowing that even if not every attempt succeeds, they are supported in their journey of innovation,” he says. “This requires close partnership between the government and the private sector — to be bold, to push boundaries, and to take risks together.”
Honorary awards
In addition to the category winners, EY presented two honorary awards. The EY-Bank of Singapore Family Enterprise Award of Excellence was presented to HMI Medical, while the EY-Bank of Singapore Asean Entrepreneurial Excellence Award was presented to Thai Huong, founder and chairwoman of the Strategic Council of TH Group.
The EY-Bank of Singapore Family Enterprise Award of Excellence is independent of the EOY and judging process. It is jointly selected by knowledge partners, Business Families Institute @ Singapore Management University, and the Insead Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise. The EY-Bank of Singapore Asean Entrepreneurial Excellence award recognises successful Southeast Asian businesses that contribute to the economy and community in the region. The recipient does not compete for the EOY Singapore 2025 title.
The Bank of Singapore returns as a platinum sponsor, while the Singapore Exchange (SGX) continues as a partner of the EOY awards for the sixth year.
During the gala, Jason Moo, CEO of Bank of Singapore, commended the qualities of entrepreneurship. “At its core, being an entrepreneur is about seizing opportunities, seeing possibilities where others might see obstacles, and having themselves turn ideas into reality,” says Moo. “In doing so, they create jobs, provide progress and enrich our communities.”
“We must cultivate environments where audacity is encouraged and calculated risks are rewarded, where a data point that doesn’t work out is simply one step closer to one that will,” he adds.
Pol de Win, senior managing director, head of global sales and origination at SGX Group, stressed that leadership is “not only about responding to change, but also holding businesses, teams and industries. It opens a gateway to opportunities for growth and paves the way forward for the next generation.”
He adds that the group has seen that transformation in recent months as homegrown champions from sectors such as construction, pharmaceuticals and enterprise technology listed on SGX, bringing the group to conclude its busiest quarter in over 12 years.
The Edge Singapore is one of the official media partners. The event is supported by Action Community for Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Business Federation and SkillsFuture Singapore.
