The Finalists

As President and Chief Executive Officer of SPI Technologies, Ernest L Cu has been the driving force behind the company's transformation from a simple data conversion company to one of the largest independent content outsourcing service providers in the world. With a global delivery platform of 24 offices in 9 countries across Asia, Europe and the United States, and a staff count of over 6,500 people, SPI Technologies is recognized as one of the leaders in the BPO industry.

Mr. Cu started with the company in 1997, and was named Chief Executive Officer in 1998. Since then, he has led the development of the company through diversification into the publishing, legal, healthcare and financial services markets and directed the establishment of the company's sales and marketing efforts in the United States. Mr. Cu is also the Founding Chairman of eTelecare Global Solutions, now the largest call center company in Asia serving leading American financial, computer and telecommunications firms.

Mr. Cu is the recipient of the 2003 Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" award for the "Information and Communications Technology" category for the Philippines for his achievements in the BPO sector.

Mr. Cu received his MBA in 1984 from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. In 1982, he received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management Engineering from De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines.

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Song Wen Zhou, a Chinese citizen, was born in Shandong Province, China. He earned the national scholarship to study in Japan, and obtained PhD degrees in engineering from Hokkaido University.

He modified his own developed mainframe based civil engineering software to be usable in PCs. After the graduation, Song remained in Japan and established Softbrain Co., Ltd. to market the software in 1992.

After the several years' of successful sales of the software, Song foresaw a much larger potential market: sales support software with process management concept. The system sold even better. In December of 2000, he became the first foreigner to immigrate to Japan after the age of 20 and subsequently list his own company, Softbrain, on a Japanese stock exchange. Softbrain grew favorably, and stepped forward from Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market (2000), 2nd section (2004) and to 1st section (2005). Now Softbrain is the leading company to support client companies to increase productivity of white-collar employees, particularly salespersons.

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Michikatsu Ochi was born in Hyogo Prefecture, in the western part of Japan in 1951.
After graduating from university, he joined a clothing manufacturer. He then moved to a major human resources training and consulting firm in Tokyo. He left that company in 1983 to form a human resources consulting company called Nihon Brain Center Co., Ltd.
In 1995, he became the first person in the Japanese HR industry to plan and develop an Internet site for job advertising. This groundbreaking site, which he called en, started as the digital media division of Nihon Brain Center, but was later spun off to become an independent firm, "En-Japan Inc."
In June 2001, En-Japan inc. was listed on the Nasdaq Japan market (currently the Nippon New Market Hercules).

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RENATO BARRAMEDA MAGADIA is the Chairman and CEO of Mabuhay Vinyl Corporation, Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corporation and Waterfront Philippines, Inc. and several other companies. He is also the Vice-Chairman of Acesite (Phils.) Hotel Corporation and concurrently Director of various companies which include Zuellig Group of Companies, Cunningham Toplis Phils., Inc., Misons Industrial & Development Corp. and Philippine Estate Corporation.

Prior to his present positions and affiliations, he was President and CEO of The Zuellig Corporation and Director of several companies, among them are PCI Bank, Mercator Finance Corporation and Federal Phoenix Assurance Company, Inc. He also worked with SGV & Company for a few years after graduation in college.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of the Philippines, Diliman and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1959

He is married to Victorina Castelo Ignacio, former District 381 Chairperson, and now National Treasurer of the Inner Wheel Club of the Philippines. He has three sons, all presently working.

He is a member of various local and international clubs and organizations, actively involved in charitable projects. An avid golfer and member of many prestigious golf clubs. He is very well-traveled and has been invited and attended international conferences and events either as a participant or a resource person.

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