Singapore, 28 July, 2010 --- He is amongst the top 50 leaders in a major French hypermarket chain store of half a million associates. He leads more than 25,000 associates with sales exceeding SGD$2 billion. From a management trainee to one of the top posts in Carrefour, Shafie Shamsudin’s excellent corporate achievement has earned him the prestigious Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award 2010.

Shafie will receive the award from Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Manpower, at 9.30pm tonight at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.

The annual award by Singapore Press Holdings’ Malay daily, Berita Harian, is in its twelfth year and honours Malay/ Muslim individuals for their achievements in the fields of education, business, arts, and culture, sports, the professions and social work. The qualities that the judging panel looks for include perseverance, determination, the ability to overcome odds and outstanding integrity. Above all, individuals who are role models for the Malay/ Muslim community in Singapore.

The winner is picked by a panel of seven judges drawn from the Malay/ Muslim community and headed by Mr Wan Hussin Zoohri, President of LBKM (Prophet Muhammad Birthday Memorial Scholarship Fund Board).

Shafie began working as a trainee for Carrefour upon graduation in 1996 and went on to become the chain’s first non-Frenchman to hold the top position. In his first nine years at the company, Shafie was promoted five times, including taking charge of the bazaar section of the supermarket’s chain in Suntec City. During his stint managing the sales of items such as home appliances, toys and DIY products, Carrefour bazaar sales jumped two fold, compared to other Carrefour bazaars.

In 2002, he made history by becoming the first Asian expatriate staff from Carrefour when he was posted to Indonesia as the Non Food Merchandise Manager for 10 Hypermarkets. He impressed in his new capacity, and within a year was promoted to the position of Store Director, the second highest post in the hypermart hierarchy before his appointment as Managing Director (MD) Carrefour Singapore Pte Ltd in September 2005.

In January the following year, he was also given the responsibility of managing Carrefour Malaysia, where he managed all of Carrefour’s eight stores in Malaysia and two in Singapore which had a combined workforce of more than 8,600 employees.

Under his stewardship, the store in Suntec City, Singapore went through a $2 million revamp to make the 10-year-old store more upmarket. Carrefour Singapore generated a turnover of about $200 million in 2007, up about 2 per cent from the preceding year.

In September 2009, Shafie added another feather in his cap when he was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Carrefour Indonesia, one of Carrefour's three major markets which include China and Brazil. There are 81 major Carrefour stores across Indonesia with a workforce totalling more than 25,000. As CEO of Carrefour Indonesia, 39-year-old Shafie is responsible for an annual turnover of nearly SGD$2 billion.

Despite his rapid rise, Shafie remains a simple man deeply rooted to his values of humility and selflessness. Not one to forget his humble beginnings, Shafie donates a sizeable portion of his salary to charity each month.

Since taking over the stewardship in Indonesia, Shafie has also been actively involved in supporting charities such as humanitarian organisation, Mercy Relief, in aiding disaster-struck victims. While heading Carrefour in Singapore and Malaysia, Shafie was also instrumental in helping Tabung Amal Aidilfitri (TAA) to place donation boxes at its two locations – the first time the charity was able to reach out to donors in the city.

Past years’ winners of the Berita Harian Achiever of the Year award include: Dr Mansoor Abdul Jalil, lecturer with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS); Professor Aziz Nather, director at the Tissue Bank and consultant with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NUS; Madam Halimah Yacob, Assistant Secretary General of NTUC; master potter Mr Iskandar Jalil; veteran composer Mr Iskandar Mirza Ismail; veteran of social service Haji Abu Bakar Maidin; Mr Zulkifli Baharudin, Chairman of Mercy Relief; Mr Mardan Mamat, millionaire golfer; Mr Ashley Isham, young fashion designer; Datuk Mohd Zain Abdullah, accomplished businessman in the shipping industry; and Som Binte Mohamed Said, cultural ambassador.

• Download Appendix A - Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Manpower (40 KB)

• Download Appendix B - Speech by Mr Mohd Guntor Sadali, Editor or Berita Harian and Berita Minggu (46 KB)