The Straits Times, Special Supplement - The Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2005

Twin Forces at work

Mr. Anton, of course, is referring to the meaning behind the name of the company he co-founded - Genovate Solutions, a regional player in IT Services/Consulting, product development and Training.

"He has certainly been successful on both counts of being the genesis for businesses and for being an innovator. In less than 6 years, he has expanded the business to 10 countries.

“Success is simply a fulfillment of supply to demand, at the right moment, in the right amount and the value created for stakeholders and the society. But sustaining success is much more than that.- it requires unrelenting passion and focus, continuous learning, unlearning and relearning, information and analytical intelligence, confident foresight on technology and market and the right support and funding,” said Mr. Anton.

To share his success formula with business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs Mr. Anton said, “A successful entrepreneur should have fresh realistic ideas, and be prepared to embrace new economic perspectives as well as take well-calculated risks. He should not hesitate to take the plunge and seize opportunities that don’t wait for the less confident.”

Like many entrepreneurs, Mr. Anton knows a good thing when he sees it and like many entrepreneurs, he has the drive to go for it.

“The entrepreneurial spirit crystallized when I left the MNC world I was with, to start Genovate so to explore uncharted territories, to go against the tide, to enjoy the thrill of technology exploration and innovation,” he said with a fire in his tone. “I identified a pressing need for comprehensive end-to-end solutions for retail, manufacturing and healthcare for mid-markets and to offer professional training in IT skills, with the differentiating aim of marrying real-world experiences in IT with class-room style education.”

“We are beginning to live and conduct business in a virtual world. For the near future, the penetration of mobile phones and m-commerce will accelerate and RFID tagging will replace the use of bar codes. Internet security will also be pervasive and is fast becoming the next big thing. Innovation, acquisition of hardware/technical skills and execution are key points as the future of the IT industry will be service-driven, with software licensing playing a supporting role. You either go against the tide, or ride ahead of it,” added Mr. Anton.

“Mr. Anton’s drive to establish Genovate as one of the leading IT software services and training organizations could not be in a better environment than Singapore. Known for its vibrant, knowledge-based economy, Singapore is driven by a rich diversity of cultures, businesses and industries and Mr. Anton clearly understands and believes that each industry has its own unique requirements and criteria to succeed.

“In knowledge-based economies, comprehensive world-class innovative software solutions as well as education and skills training are economic drivers fuelled by software tools and efficient knowledge transfer. In combined efforts, they boost product development when crafted with sound business knowledge,” elaborated Mr. Anton.

As for what drives Mr. Anton as far as his company is concerned, he said “The technoprenuerial spirit and a desire to steer his organization in the right direction with passion, confidence and foresight and at the speed or momentum I choose to drive it at so that my technological vision becomes a reality one day.”