A total of 15 small- and medium-sized enterprises from Macau and Hong Kong were recognised at the 2nd Deignan* Award for Responsible Entrepreneurship Ceremony on Saturday at the University of Saint Joseph’s (USJ) Ilha Verde campus.
Themed “Corporate Philanthropy–Shared Values, Determination, and Compassion”, a statement from the award’s organisers noted yesterday that the awards emphasise the “critical role of businesses in social welfare”. It featured a judging panel from both Macau and Hong Kong.
The businesses were honoured for “their exemplary performance in ‘Ethical Leadership’ and responsible business practices”, according to the statement.
In terms of the top awards, Macau’s Gold Award winner was Pizza Express Macau, while the local recipients of the Silver Award and Bronze Award were Wing Best Cleaning Co. Ltd. and Zence Object Technology. This year’s awards also featured four new award categories that covered core areas of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and comprised the “Workplace Dignity Award”, “Integrity Award”, “Sustainability Award” and “Community Impact Award”.
The awards were organised by Wofoo Social Enterprises, Macau Ricci Institute, and the University of Saint Joseph (USJ).
The statement quoted Chairman of the Steering Committee Stephan Rothlin S.J. as saying: “This year’s Deignan Award embodies the core values of ‘care, compassion, and integrity,’ demonstrating how entrepreneurship and social responsibility can reinforce one another. These awardees are not just business role models but also bridges for value transmission”.
USJ Vice Rector Alexandre Lobo was quoted by the statement as saying: “We look forward to collaborating with like-minded institutions to create platforms for youth to put values into practice and nurture a new generation of leaders with both professional competence and social consciousness.”
Steering Committee Vice Chairman Joseph Lee (李宗德) said: “The awardees exemplify the essence of contemporary business leadership – grounded in integrity, driven by compassion, and committed to a higher purpose of serving societal well-being”.
*The award is named after Fr. Alfred Deignan (1927-2018), former supervisor of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Kowloon.
This handout photo taken and provided on Saturday by the organisers of the Deignan Awards shows guests and attendees of the 2nd Deignan Award for Responsible Entrepreneurship Ceremony on the campus of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ).
