Since their inception in 1990, the DHL/South China Morning Post Hong Kong Business Awards have recognised outstanding contributions to the SAR's reputation as Asia's leading financial centre. The time has come to choose this year's winners. The categories are Businessman of the Year, The Executive Award, Young Entrepreneur Award, International Award, Enterprise Trophy and Owner-Operator Award. The awards ceremony will be on December 6. Over the next five weeks, the South China Morning Post will publish a follow-up of last year's winners, to see how they have fared in the past year. Today, we catch up with the recipient of the Young Entrepreneur Award, Boom.com managing director and chief executive Mark Duff.
Nine months after winning the DHL/SCMP Entrepreneur of the Year award last December, Boom.com managing director Mark Duff has significantly expanded Hong Kong-based online services for brokers, with a view to an eventual public offering.
'An ideal will be to list the company when the markets recover. When we list we hope to have the broadest possible array of services with the largest and most satisfied customer base,' said Mr Duff, a former regional manager for Dow Jones.
Initial-public-offer activity has dried up as companies put listing plans on hold. While waiting for a recovery, he has focused on expanding Boom.com's services and customer base.
Mr Duff co-founded Hong Kong's first online securities company in 1997, targeting retail investors. At the end of Boom.com's startup phase in 1999, the group promised shareholders it would have a pan-Asian solution to distinguish it from competitors.
It took another two years to secure the financing and build what has become one of the most advanced online trading platforms. By September 12, Boom.com was ready to announce a pan-Asian platform would allow investors to trade stocks listed on 15 exchanges in 10 Asian countries plus the US.