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Globalisation has led to an unforeseen level of intensity in international competition between businesses. Commercial success can no longer be measured on cost competitiveness; design has emerged as a key differentiator for businesses around the world. When combined with strong corporate leadership, design can play a key part in producing sustainable results. As a result, we must develop a more modern definition of what best practice means within the design and business communities, adopting a commitment to excellence that balances both economic and social values.
Sustainable growth through design is not a new concept, but the important relationship between strong corporate leadership and design excellence is often underestimated. The Design Leadership Awards (DLA) commends the dedication and achievement of those who have successfully combined the two into a single concept.
Launched in 2004, the Design Leadership Award aims to:
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Acknowledge the excellent achievements and contributions made by an outstanding world business leader |
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Establish role models within the international business community; and |
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Inspire the public to shape a better future for society |
Judging Criteria
The recipient of the Design Leadership Award has:
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Played a leading role in applying design in their organisation, and consistently demonstrated outstanding business performance |
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Made a significant contribution to support the development of design in their organisation, as well as in the design industry |
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Promoted or contributed to the development of design in their country, as well as the international community |
Judging Panel
| Victor Lo | Chairman, Board of Directors,
Hong Kong Design Centre, Hong Kong Chairman of the judging panel |
| Anne Stenros | Design Director and Vice President of Design, KONE Corporation, Finland |
| John Heskett | Chair Professor, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
| Julia Chiu |
Director, Global Communications of International
Design Center NAGOYA Inc (IdcN), Japan |
| Kan Tai- Keung | Creative Director, Kan & Lau Design Consultants, Hong Kong |
| Patrick Whitney | Director, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, United States |
| Philip Dodd | Co-founder, Made In China and Made In Asia, United Kingdom |
Winner of Design Leadership Award 2008
| Yang Yuan-qing Chairman Lenovo Group |
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| Yang Yuan-qing is Chairman of the Lenovo Group. Prior
to assuming his current position, he was the President and Chief Executive
Officer of Lenovo. Yang joined Lenovo in 1989 and became CEO in 2001. Under
his leadership, Lenovo has been China's best-selling PC brand since 1997.
In 1999, Lenovo ranked first in PC sales in Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan)
and has maintained this position ever since.
Under Yang’s leadership, Lenovo was listed as a Fortune 500 company in Fortune and topped the rankings of the Financial Times’ 2007 Top 10 Chinese Global Brands Survey. Yang expanded Lenovo’s distribution network, and established highly efficient customer service networks. Likewise, Yang helped pioneer the ‘Home PC’ concept, which would successfully establish new business operational models for small and medium enterprises. Yang has been pivotal in Lenovo's conversion to a transnational enterprise, guiding the company to become the International Olympic Committee's worldwide partner in March 2004. In December 2004, when Lenovo acquired IBM’s PC Division, Yang emerged onto the world stage as the first Chinese executive to lead the takeover of an iconic Western business. Subsequently, integrating new businesses and different cultures has become one of Lenovo’s core competencies. |