The popular US reality show The Apprentice hosted by the real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump now invades Asia. I don’t really have an about the program before and it didn’t even came to me to even watch an episode of the US version, but along the way while researching and checking online what the show is all about, I finally find it really interesting, educational as well and somehow resembles another reality show “The Survivor” only plotted in the city.
Dubbed as “the world’s toughest job interview”, candidates undergo into a series on interviews, essay writings, and other job screenings for them to quality and be part of the 12 candidates aiming to be the chosen apprentice.
The Asian Franchise which is starting to get a buzz today shows different challenges to a group of aspiring men and women of different races, countries (Asian) and profession to compete for a chance to work with the Malaysian Indian Entreprenuer Tony Fernandez who owns one of the Asia’s leading airlines, Air Asia. And like Donald Trump, as the owner of the company, Tony hosted the show.
Mark Lankester, CEO of the Tune Hotels’ Group, and Kathleen Tan, CEO of Expedia Asia help Tony Fernandes in analyzing the contestants strategies and business outcomes with every tasks given every week. They serve as the advisers of Tony Fernandes in determining which team member of the losing team should be “fired” from the show.
At the recent Pinoy Bloggers Night with The Apprentice Asia TeamPH Celina and Jonathan held at Papa John’s Tomas Morato, Filipino contender Celina Le Neindre and Jonathan Allen Yabut brought to the bloggers their personal stories on their expiriences inside the competition. It was very inspiring to listen to their stories on how they thrive to do their best to represent not just themselves but as well as to raise the flag of the Filipinos in each of the challenges they encounter. I will share to you guys some of their stories on my next article about the show. But before I sink into the details let us first get to know each of the people involve in the competition vying for the title of the First Asian Apprentice.
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The 12 Aspiring Candidates of The Apprentice Asia 2013
Source: http://www.axn-asia.com
TEAM APEX
Age: 29
Nationality: French
Marital status: Single
Education: Bachelor of Business from IPAG Business School (France)
Current Occupation: Asia-Pacific Director in charge of liquor brand in a leading luxury goods conglomerate
“I get promoted fast in every company I worked in. That speaks better than any award.”
At 29, Alexis is the youngest Asia-Pacific director in the history of his liquor brand, a subset of a leading luxury group. His core achievement is making his spirit brand the fastest growing in its category in China, increasing business revenue exponentially in three years’ time.
Being an expat in Asia, his special talent lies in his linguistic abilities. He speaks four languages and picked up fluent Mandarin in two and a half months.
Nationality: Indian
Marital status: Married
Education: MBA (Marketing & Information Systems Management) from Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship
Current Occupation: Vice President, IT infrastructure, in one of the Big Four professional services firms
“I believe a great leader is also a great follower but not vice versa.”
The son of a retired pastor, Samuel believes he brings a multi-faceted personality to the show. Sam’s loyalty to a company is proven, with him still in his first and only company after 12 long years. During these 12 years, he has taken on four different roles in the company, and has been promoted six times on the fast track. His professional expertise lies in strategic business consulting, and he has experience setting up a remote IT command centre, growing it to a 76-member strong outfit from scratch.
Samuel counts acting, emceeing, script writing and directing plays short films as some of his special talents.
Age: 25
Nationality: Malaysian
Marital Status: Single
Education: Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from University of Adelaide
Occupation: Auditor
“I’ve always been the organizer – be it an event, a party, assignment or even a simple outing, as I possess strong leadership skills.”
Nik Aisyah has always dreamt of owning her own business, and is here to prove that she is not just all book smarts. A quick learner, she has always been promoted on the fast track. In school, she jumped a grade and finished primary school a year earlier than her peers. In her first and current job, she rose up a rank six months before she was due for promotion.
In the Arabic language, ‘Amirah’ means ‘leader’, which is how people look to her, both in a social and professional capacity. Nik Aisyah describes herself as an ordinary girl who pushes herself to be above average. The Apprentice Asia presents the opportunity for her to take the next big leap in her career.
Age: 29
Nationality: Indian
Marital status: Single
Education: Master’s Degree in Advanced Management
Practice from University of Bath
Current Occupation: Director in family owned infrastructure
development company
“People rarely intimidate me. Situations do.”
Ningku came from a big family with six other siblings, and the fact that she is the only one in the the family business is perhaps most telling of her close relationship with her father. Though she was not professionally trained in construction, she picked things up quickly on the job and from consultations with her father.
Ningku is always raring for new challenges. She improved efficiency of her labourers by more than 40%, with her creation of a wheelbarrow which runs on a track. This same wheelbarrow system is now being implemented by other big contractors in her state.
Age: 34
Nationality: Malaysian
Marital status: Married
Education: SPM (O levels equivalent)
Current Occupation: Business Owner
“Money is my No. 1 value in life. No money no talk rings loud. Everything I do is for money and what money can do for me and my family.”
Hanzo has always chosen the road less taken. At 18, he came across a motivational book which changed his mindset about life and career, and subsequently led him to leave college in the third semester. At 19, he started his first business which failed and it wasn’t till he embarked onto his third and current venture before he succeeded. He married his girlfriend last year, whom he met on the internet.
Even as one of the few candidates without a bachelor’s degree, Hanzo exudes an air of confidence and is all ready to demolish the competition. He might also have an edge as a fan who has watched all the different franchises of The Apprentice, from the US, UK to the Irish and Australian editions.
Age: 30
Nationality: Filipino
Marital Status: Single
Education: Philippine School of Culinary Arts, Master Chef Program
Occupation: Food & Beverage Consultant
“I’m a sore loser but I enjoy a good challenge. I pout and even get angry with myself. I grew up being used to winning, and getting what I want.”
Celina is quite the globe trotter. Growing up, she followed her father, a General Manager for a large hotel chain, as he was transferred from France to Tanzania and the Philippines. Following her passion for hospitality and tourism, she started off in the South of France by washing dishes and scrubbing the toilets! This was in part inspired by her father, who worked from the bottom up in his 40 years of career, from a bellboy to the General Manager.
She is now a food and beverage consultant for a steakhouse, and has also created and managed her own pasta bar which ran for three years in the Philippines.
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TEAM MAVERICK
Age: 25
Nationality: Singaporean
Marital status: Single
Education: Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from National University of Singapore
Current Occupation: Lawyer
“I take a task more seriously when I realize there is a competitive element. I always examine what edge the winner had over me and make a mental note for the future.”
Having always dreamt of being a lawyer, Andrea has now fulfilled her dream practicing law in her first full-time job, specializing in civil and commercial litigation. A few months into the job, she worked on a $250 million real estate financing deal which opened her eyes to high level negotiations. She has also been involved in two vastly different businesses – a theatre start-up, and a champagne manufacturing/ distribution company which is still running.
Andrea’s independent streak manifests itself when it comes to her chronic wander lust – she always travels solo and has proven that she can stand up for herself . During a trip to Laos, the feisty young lady boldly decked a rugby player who got too close for comfort.
Age: 38
Nationality: Malaysian
Marital status: Married
Education: Chartered Accountant, Institute of Chartered Accountant Australia
Current Occupation: Financial Coach, Trainer & Entrepreneur
“I like to win, actually I love winning. If I ever enter anything, I only want to be the best.”
Nazril dons multiple hats as a financial coach, trainer, entrepreneur and a TV host. Some people might also know him through his other half, Malaysian actress and host, Sazlini Shamsul Falak. Years ago, Nazril found himself in a rut after losing money in investments. This was a wake-up call for him especially since his dad died as a bankrupt, spurring him to take on finance management courses. He now specializes in coaching wealth management to fellow celebrities, and is also writing a book about investment and finance management.
Age: 36
Nationality: Indonesian
Marital status: Married
Education: Master of Arts (Mass Communications) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Current Occupation: Housewife
“I only dream about meeting successful people. If I am given the opportunity to work within an organization as well-oiled as Tony Fernandes’ team, I will cherish that.”
Dian is a familiar face to many in Indonesia, having been a news anchor on local TV stations for over six years. The former Miss Indonesia 2003 and Mrs Indonesia 2010 has since taken on the role of a ‘homeland engineer’, her spirited take on managing a household of three. Dian looks up to her dad, a director of a state-owned enterprise in Jakarta, who lives by the old school business method of standing by ‘handshake agreements’. To Dian, relationships and integrity in business mean more than money-making.
Age: 30
Nationality: Indonesian
Marital status: Married
Education: Advanced Diploma of E-commerce from Informatics Computer School
Current Occupation: Founder and CEO of his F&B company
“There are many formulas to success, but nothing will happen unless you take action.“
Hendy did not finish university, but that did not stop him from setting up his own kebab chain at 19. Starting from a small village in Surabaya, he operated a push cart with just USD400 in capital. Today, his business is a roaring success, hiring 1900 employees in over 1000 outlets in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
With several entrepreneurship awards under his belt, Hendy has a trophy in common with Tony Fernandes; they both won the Ernst & Young’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award in their respective countries.
Age: 35
Nationality: Thai
Marital status: Single
Education: Masters of Arts (Communication Studies) from University of Northern Iowa
Current Occupation: Owner of a bistro bar
“My diverse background and experiences that I bring to the show will help me win. I’m surrounded by all types of people; I’m good at dealing with them and I’m good at organizing and planning.”
Dee grew up amongst eastern and western influences, in Thailand where she was born, and in the States where she survived Hurricane Katrina. Moving from the countryside to the cities has made her resilient to changes. Her parents have a big influence on her life – her tough and savvy father was a shrimp farm owner, a risky business with unpredictable incomes , and her meticulous mother who operated a restaurant taught her all about good hospitality.
Aside from her family business, Dee opened her own bistro in 2007, where she seeks to serve international gourmet food inspired from her travels, as well as authentic thai cuisine.
Age: 27
Nationality: Filipino
Marital Status: Single
Education: Bachelor in Science in Economics from University
of the Philippines
Occupation: Senior Product Manager
“I am an extremely driven and passionate person. I always set my eyes on the prize, and as people would describe me – what Nate wants, Nate gets.”
Jonathan is a proud pinoy and is not afraid to show it. His belief that ‘Asians are the best’ in the corporate world drives his personal track records. He successfully launched a new pharmaceutical brand, achieving market leadership in terms of volume and sales in just eight months, a world record in the company’s history across 30 countries. Jonathan was also the recipient of the 2012 Mansmith Young Market Masters Award, as one of the top seven marketers in the Philippines under the age of 35.
Two Filipinos are vying for the title and Off course being very bias I’m betting for my fellow Filipinos to win this competition. That is why I am also encouraging all my readers to please support Celina and Jonathan in rallying for more votes.
Celina Le Neindre
Hospitality Professional
29yo, born in Davao City.
Twitter/Instagram @celinaleneindre
Facebook/AACelina
Hashtags to use: #AACelina #TheApprenticeAsia #TeamPH
Jonathan Allen Yabut
Marketing Manager
27 yrs old, born in manila
Twitter: @jonathanyabut
Facebook.com/AAJonathanYabut
Hashtags: #AAJon #TheApprenticeAsia #TeamPH
Watch the show every Wednesday, 9PM at AXN Asia Cable Channel. It’s truly an exciting series and you’ll learn a lot from each episode. Visit AXN Asia The Apprentice Asia’s website to vote and for more details: http://www.axn-asia.com/
