Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was named as Asia’s Game Changer for the Year 2015 as he joined the company of distinguish Asians who have been honored for “transforming ideas into action and improving lives.” According to Asia Society in recognizing Manny Pacquiao as “Asia’s Game Changer of 2015, he would be following in the footsteps of one of Asia’s billionaire, Alibaba CEO Jack Ma who took the honor last 2014.
Josette Sheeran, President of Asia Society, noted that “Manny Pacquiao achieved his remarkable success after a childhood of extreme hunger and poverty.”
According to Asia Society, Manny Pacquiao is a major humanitarian force, directng his philanthropy towards numerous causes, including education and fight against human trafficking.
The honorees of Asia Society, are selected through a global survey of more than 1,000 thought leaders. Aside from Manny Pacquiao, the other awardees are: Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura (Japan), 2014 Nobel Laureates in Physics and inventors of a new energy-efficient light source; Chanda Kochhar (India), CEO of ICICI Bank and the first woman to head an Indian bank;
Lei Jun (China) founder and CEO of Xiaomi, China’s leading smartphone vendor; Li Cunxin (Australia/China) artistic director of the Queensland Ballet, known as “Mao’s Last Dancer;” Aasif Mandvi (United States/India), comedian, activist and spokesperson for Muslims and Asian-Americans;
Mariam al-Mansouri (United Arab Emirates), fighter pilot of the UAE Air Force and role model for women throughout the Arab world; and Kiran Bir Sethi (India), founder of Design for Change and The Riverside School, and champion of youth volunteerism.
