Asia Business Leaders Awards (ABLA): Judging

Selecting award winners from a list of accomplished business leaders becomes increasingly challenging especially after a decade's worth of year-on-year analysis.

Under stringent, objective and transparent criteria, business leaders are judged by an independent panel of world-respected management strategists, academics, corporate personalities and CNBC executives. Heading the judging panel are representatives from CNBC's long time knowledge partner The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Together with research partner Development Dimensions International, the distinguished panel conducts a unique three-phase judging process, which includes quantitative company data analysis to select the top performers from across Asia, followed by face-to-face interviews to assess candidates' leadership qualities and the final selection of winners for the awards.

Candidates are evaluated based on a combination of criteria including the companies' financial performance, creativity, innovation, social responsibility and the ability to create short-term advantage, long-term value and a competitive edge.