Taiwan’s GlobalWafers founder wins EY World Entrepreneur of the Year

Taiwanese businesswoman Doris Hsu was named EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 at an event in Monaco on Thursday, beating stiff competition from 49 global executives including the founder of Antrim-based Texthelp, Martin McKay.

Ms Hsu, only the third woman ever to win the title, is the founder and chief executive of GlobalWafers, the Taiwan-based company she has grown to become the world’s third largest manufacturer of silicon wafers, a key component in microchips.

She took the company public in Taipei in 2015 and has overseen a series of mergers and acquisitions in recent years.

EY described Ms Hsu as “a visionary business leader with an unwavering passion for innovation and commitment to sustainability”.

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Ms Hsu said she was honoured to receive the award. “There is an underrepresentation of woman leaders, especially in the high-tech [semiconductor] industry, and this shows that regardless of gender, anyone can succeed,” she said.

“We are in a moment where purpose-driven entrepreneurs are leading the charge in taking on global challenges and this year’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year winner, Doris Hsu, is the complete embodiment of that,” said EY global chairman and chief executive Carmine Di Sibio in a statement. “Doris’s vision and drive not only built an industry-leading company that has created thousands of jobs and helped generate significant local and global economic impact, but her passion for building a better working world is really what this event is all about.”

Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr McKay said: “It was a fantastic event and a real honour to represent Ireland.”

The businessman, who was named Irish EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 at the annual awards ceremony last November, said: “EY’s global commitment to supporting entrepreneurs is truly impressive. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate, and hope to do business with some of the other finalists in the future.”