SCCI Business Award Ceremony and Gala Ball 2015 |30 November 2015

Gregory Albert best entrepreneur of the year

Gregory Albert, head of the United Concrete Products Seychelles (UCPS), is the best entrepreneur and businessman of the year.  

Mr Albert received his award during the annual Business Awards Ceremony and Gala Ball 2015 on Saturday at the Eden Bleu Hotel, Eden Island organised by the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI).

This prestigious award was among other categories of awards on offer that night like best tourism establishment, best retail services, best artisan, best manufacturing, best product innovation, best banking and financial services, best environmental sustainability, lifetime achievement, entrepreneur of the year, corporate social responsibility and young entrepreneurs.

This year a special award for young entrepreneurs has been introduced and it was won by Iwanah Pillay, the chairperson of the young entrepreneur association.

Some 250 business executives from the local business and commercial industries alongside partners and colleagues from other industries and commercial entities, attended the event. Also present were the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy Jean-Paul Adam and the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St Ange.

The other winners were Eden Bleu Hotel for best tourism establishment; Rosebelle Farm for best retail services; Mangouya Studio for best artisan; Trois Frères Distillery for best manufacturing; Airtel for best product innovation; Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) for best banking and financial services; SYAH for best environment sustainability; Iwanah Pillay for young entrepreneur of the year and Cable & Wireless for best corporate social responsibility.

There were five recipients of the life achievement awards and they were Luc Grandcourt of Praslin, Gregoire Payet of La Digue, Gerard Rose of Baie Ste Anne (Praslin), Micheline Georges of Jardin du Roi at Anse Royale and Souhah Oliaji of the Oliaji group.

“I am very honoured and did not expect. It is true that since 2013 I continued and persevere. Life is not an easy journey but a trophy of this caliber I believe is a reminder that it is possible for every Seychellois to continue striving for a future in the Seychelles business. There are a lot of opportunities, just continue pushing forwards,” Mr Albert remarked after receiving his prize.
He also cautioned that some business will or will not work but overall one should keep persevering.

“For me this is a sign that someone somewhere is appreciative of all the hard work I have done. Even if I finish work very late at night, family waiting for you at home, for them also this will show that their sacrifices have been recognised,” said Mr Albert.

In his keynote address for the evening, the chairman of SCCI, Marco Francis said during the recent Commonwealth Business Forum he attended in Malta, his African counterparts and other Commonwealth members told him they were very amazed and proud of Seychelles for the lead we have taken in our sustainable developments, the lead we have taken in our Blue economy.

He remarked that even Prince Charles was talking about it at the Commonwealth forum where he even praised Seychelles for that vision and for the launch of the blue bonds.

For his part Minister Adam said the event is a recognition of the achievements of Seychellois entrepreneurs and the contributions they make to the Seychelles economy.

Speaking on the moratorium imposed on construction of big hotels, he said the government has done that to leave some space for Seychellois entrepreneurs who are interested in doing business in the tourism sector.

Live musical entertainment for the evening was provided by the Breeze band, Sri Lankan singer Anna Anderson and Emmanuel Marie.