Singapore CEO named Asia's business leader of 2013

By: Li Anne Wong | Senior Digital Editor, CNBC International

The chief executive of one of Singapore's biggest listed firms has been awarded the top honors at CNBC's Asia Business Leaders Awards.

Tan Pheng Hock, president and CEO of Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering, was named the region's Business Leader of the Year for 2013 in an awards ceremony in Bangkok on Thursday.

The 55-year-old is a veteran in the engineering space, holding various senior management roles within the group since he began his career with ST Marine in 1981 and culminating in his current position in February last year.

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Tan is widely recognized for his efforts to put the integrated engineering group - which dabbles in the aerospace, electronics and marine sectors - on the global map. With a market capitalization of nearly $10 billion, the company ranks among the largest-listed firms on the Singapore Exchange.

The 12th Asia Business Leaders Awards event was held at the Conrad Hotel and included more than 250 CEOs and top executives from around the region.

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Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group, won the Lifetime Achievement award. Widely known as the 'king of corporate India,' Mr. Tata has steered the 145-year-old company - which has its hands in everything from hotels to cars and telecommunications - for the past two decades, decades, before stepping down in December last year.

'Leaders need to lead from the front, not the rear. Live by example, not by exception,' Tata said in a recorded message during the awards presentation.

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Meanwhile, the Innovator of the Year award went to Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, a Malaysian entrepreneur and founder of budget air carrier AirAsia. Earlier this year, Forbes Asia ranked Fernandes as the 21st wealthiest man on the Forbes Malaysia rich list, valuing his net worth at $625 million.

Other winners included Dr. Palin Chuchottaworn, president and CEO of Thailand's state-own oil and gas firm PTT Public Company, who took the Thai Business Leader award; and Yancey Hai, CEO of the world's largest maker of switching power supplies and brushless fans Delta Electronics, who won the Talent Management award. The CSR award went to Ms Rohana binti Rozhan, who helms Astro Malaysia.

The awards ceremony will air on CNBC Asia on November 28.

- By CNBC's Li Anne Wong. Follow her on Twitter @LiAnneCNBC

The chief executive of one of Singapore's biggest listed firms has been awarded the top honors at CNBC's Asia Business Leaders Awards.