NATIVE VML CEO, Jason Xenopoulos, was recognised as the All Africa Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 at the AABLA Awards’ grand finale ceremony held on Friday, 13 November 2015. Now in its fifth year, the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) exemplifies the best in African leadership and distinguishes and honours leaders who have contributed and shaped the African economy. Xenopoulos was named Entrepreneur of the Year for Southern Africa in September 2015, with regional winners from across the continent then progressing to the next round for the ultimate title of Africa’s business icon in their sector.
“Since being named Entrepreneur of the Year for Southern Africa I have spent a lot of time thinking about what the award means because, to be honest, I can’t help feeling that there must be many people out there – across the continent – far more deserving of this award than me,” says Xenopoulos. “I know without a doubt that there are many who have built bigger and more profitable companies in a shorter space of time. So this has forced me to really interrogate what it means to be an Entrepreneur… and to think about what I need to do going forward to prove that I am worthy of this honour.”
Xenopoulos’ career spans more than two decades and includes founding SA’s leading web development company in 1994, VWV Interactive; becoming the youngest CEO of a JSE listed company as CEO of Metropolis Transactive; winning several international awards for his feature film Promised Land and holding the position of executive creative director at Y&R SA.
“The term entrepreneur generally refers to someone who has started a business and taken on risk in order to make money, but I think that definition belongs to another time. We live in a world where making money is no longer enough. Today, it is more important for us to create value. Not just for ourselves, but for our customers and our partners, for our communities, our countries, and for the wider world as well. I want to say thank you to all the people who have believed in me – so much of what I do, I do to honour their trust in me. Thank you especially to my business partners and everyone at NATIVE VML. This award belongs to you!” concludes Jason Xenopoulos.
