Aung Ko Win
{{Short description|Burmese businessman}}
{{about|the Myanmar businessman|the Myanmar politician|Aung Ko (politician)}}
{{Self-published|date=February 2021}}
{{Family name hatnote|lang=Burmese|Aung Ko Win}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific-prefix = Thray Sithu
| name = Aung Ko Win (A Win Lay)
| native_name = အောင်ကိုဝင်း
| native_name_lang = my
| image =
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| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Burma
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Burmese
| occupation = Businessman
| other_names =
| known_for =
| alma_mater = Mandalay University
| spouse = Nang Than Htwe
| children = Nang Lang Kham
Nang Kham Noung
Nang Mo Hom
| parents =
| awards = The Banker Awards (2013)
State Excellence Award (2013, 2014, 2015)
The Legacy Award (2017)
| relatives =
}}
Tharay Sithu Aung Ko Win ({{langx|my|အောင်ကိုဝင်း}}) is a Burmese business tycoon and former school teacher. He owns interests in several businesses in Myanmar under the Kanbawza (KBZ) brand in the finance, agriculture, aviation, manufacturing and tourism sectors.
Career
Aung Ko Win was a teacher, then he switched to tutoring before going into trading and mining. He has benefited from close connections to General Maung Aye, the second in command of the former military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).{{cite web|url=http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Brc/pdf/13_07.pdf|title=Business Conglomerates in the Context of Myanmar's Economic Reform|last=Aung Min|author2=Toshihiro Kudo|date=2014|work=Myanmar's Integration with Global Economy: Outlook and Opportunities|publisher=Bangkok Research Report|accessdate=11 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924032745/http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Brc/pdf/13_07.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}{{Cite book |last=Turnell |first=Sean |author-link=Sean Turnell |title=Myanmar's Transition |publisher=ISEAS Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=978-981-4414-17-3 |location=Singapore |chapter=8. Reform and its Limits in Myanmar's Fiscal State |pages=137–155 |doi=10.1355/9789814414173-015}}{{Rp|page=155}}{{Cite news |last1=Yeni |last2=Yan Pai |last3=Aung Thet Wine |date=14 January 2011 |title=Burmese Bank Rumored on Verge of Bankruptcy |url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=20526 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903023312/http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=20526 |archive-date=3 September 2014 |work=The Irrawaddy}} While Maung Aye was a commander in jade-mining region of Shan State, Maung Aye offered Aung Ko Win jade and gem mining concessions.{{cite news |last1=Szep |first1=Jason |last2=Marshall |first2=Andrew R.C. |date=13 April 2012 |title=Special Report: An image makeover for Myanmar Inc |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-cronies-image-idUSBRE83B0YU20120413 |accessdate=15 July 2015 |work=Reuters |archive-date=30 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230114646/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-cronies-image-idUSBRE83B0YU20120413 |url-status=live }}
His trading and mining business prospered, and two years later, he bought the banking operation. Then, he moved KBZ and his family to Yangon in the late 1990s, when there were only 4 branches. Now there are 485, and KBZ expects to reach 500 by the end of 2017.{{cite news |last1=Gluckman |first1=Ron |title=A Family Of Entrepreneurs Has Built KBZ Into a Finance Powerhouse In Myanmar |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/10/04/a-family-of-entrepreneurs-has-built-kbz-into-a-finance-powerhouse-in-myanmar/ |work=Forbes |date=4 October 2017 |language=en |access-date=29 June 2024 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231123544/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/10/04/a-family-of-entrepreneurs-has-built-kbz-into-a-finance-powerhouse-in-myanmar/ |url-status=live }}{{Unreliable source?|date=June 2024}}
Personal life
He is married to Nang Than Htwe,{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2010.118.01.0010.01.ENG|title=Commission Regulation (EU) No 411/2010 of 10 May 2010 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 renewing and strengthening the restrictive measures in respect of Burma/Myanmar|date=10 May 2010|work=Official Journal of the European Union|publisher=European Commission|accessdate=15 July 2015|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306043106/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2010.118.01.0010.01.ENG|url-status=live}} the niece of Win Myint, a former State Peace and Development Council official.{{rp|p=145}} He has 3 daughters.{{cite web|url=https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2007L04115|title=Banking (Foreign Exchange) Regulations 1959 – Direction Relating to Foreign Currency Transactions and to Burma (18/10/2007)|date=18 Oct 2007|work=Commonwealth of Australia|accessdate=15 July 2015|archive-date=16 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716101736/https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2007L04115|url-status=live}} His wife is Deputy Chairman of KBZ, while his daughters serve as directors within the company.{{cite web|url=http://www.kbzgroup.com.mm/who_we_are |title=Our Board of Directors |work=KBZ Group |accessdate=15 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716080757/http://www.kbzgroup.com.mm/who_we_are |archivedate=16 July 2015 }} Two daughters are Deputy CEOs of KBZ Bank.{{Cite web|last=Gluckman|first=Ron|title=A Family Of Entrepreneurs Has Built KBZ Into a Finance Powerhouse In Myanmar|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/10/04/a-family-of-entrepreneurs-has-built-kbz-into-a-finance-powerhouse-in-myanmar/|access-date=2020-11-02|website=Forbes|language=en|archive-date=2021-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315115506/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/10/04/a-family-of-entrepreneurs-has-built-kbz-into-a-finance-powerhouse-in-myanmar/|url-status=live}} His brother-in-law, Major-General Zaw Myint Naing was appointed vice-governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar in August 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-26 |title=Former General Named as Vice-Governor of Central Bank of Myanmar |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/former-general-named-as-vice-governor-of-central-bank-of-myanmar.html |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=The Irrawaddy |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826102655/https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/former-general-named-as-vice-governor-of-central-bank-of-myanmar.html |url-status=live }}
Awards and honours
{{Uncited section|date=August 2022}}
= Awards =
In 2015, Aung Ko Win accepted "The Banker of the Year Award" in Asia 2015 award at a ceremony held at the London Stock Exchange on 3 December.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/kbz-bank-wins-three-best-bank-awards-for-2015-from-world-finance/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114130945/http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/kbz-bank-wins-three-best-bank-awards-for-2015-from-world-finance/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 14, 2018|title=KBZ Bank wins three best bank awards for 2015 from World Finance|work=Global New Light of Myanmar|date=9 December 2015|accessdate=14 January 2018|language=en}}
In 2017, he was awarded with the ASEAN's "The Legacy Award" conferred on him by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council-ABAC on 6 September in Manila, Philippines.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/asean-the-legacy-award-conferred-on-kbzs-chairman/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114130926/http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/asean-the-legacy-award-conferred-on-kbzs-chairman/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 14, 2018|title=ASEAN "The Legacy Award" conferred on KBZ's Chairman|work=Global New Light of Myanmar|date=8 September 2017|accessdate=14 January 2018|language=en}}{{Better source needed|date=February 2021}}