“Jonathan is an inspiring icon for the Asian youth.

He represents the future of ASEAN.”

– Tony Fernandes, co-founder & GCEO of AirAsia

Official Media Kit

Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
The Modern Hero of Filipino Diaspora
“You can never be too small to dream big.”

Jonathan Yabut is the Season 1 Winner of the hit reality TV show The Apprentice “Jonathan is an inspiring icon for the Asian
Asia who bested 11 other Asian business executives vying to become the youth. He represents the future of ASEAN.
apprentice of Tony Fernandes. Famous for his popular TV quote, “You can never – Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia
be too small to dream big”, Jonathan has inspired thousands of young Asians and Time Magazine’s 100 Influential People of
and OFWs through his achievements to chase and pursue their dreams. 2015

Born and raised in the streets of Tondo, Jonathan finished schooling purely on “Not only did Yabut promote Filipino talent
scholarships. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman, he climbed worldwide, he also inspired pride and
his way up in the marketing departments of Globe Telecom, GlaxoSmithKline confidence among Filipinos working overseas.”
and AirAsia. He was the 2012 Mansmith Young Market Master Awardee and – Philippine Daily Inquirer
Filipino ambassador to the 2012 London Olympics.
“Jonathan raised the Filipino flag for every
Jonathan is the author of the best-selling motivational book, From Grit To Great. Pinoy out there seeking to succeed in the
In 2014, Mega Magazine recognized him as among the 7 selected Global Pinoy global stage.”
Pride Awardees for his excellence in business. - Rico Hizon, BBC Correspondent
Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
Asia’s Global Youth Icon
Inspiring tomorrow’s business leaders, one student at a time

As part of his education

advocacy, Jonathan has
engaged thousands of
students since 2013.

75+ Schools & Universities

6,500+ Students
7 Asian Countries
Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
From Grit To Great
Southeast Asia’s best-selling motivational book

From Grit to Great is Jonathan’s autobiography book which shares his life journey to
becoming Asia’s first Apprentice. From being the poorest kid in school to succeeding on top
of the corporate world, Jonathan tells how hard work and perseverance can lead to success
despite one’s lack of financial resources.

The book focuses on fuelling success from grit: you don't need to be an Einstein, a Richie
Rich, nor a royalty to succeed in life---what you need is grit. Proudly authored by a Pinoy, the
book is distributed in 6 Southeast Asian countries and is a bestseller today in Malaysia,
Singapore and The Philippines.

“Inspiring, page-turning, head-nodding. Finished it in 2 days.” – The Star, Malaysia

“A refreshing read for today’s jobseekers and entrepreneurs.” – Yahoo! Philippines
“Jonathan stresses the importance of working smart, as opposed to what most people
commonly do—working hard.” – The Huffington Post

As featured
& reviewed by
over 30 media
companies
across
Southeast
Asia:
Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
Asia’s Leadership Guru
The youngest Asian motivational speaker represented by
the prestigious London Speaker Bureau

For his passion and dedication to serve the youth and the millennial
workforce, Jonathan has emerged as one of most sought motivational
and leadership speakers of Asia. He is the first Filipino and youngest
Asian in history to be represented by the world-renowned agency, The
London Speaker Bureau. Jonathan’s goal is simple: to educate Asian
leaders about the value of constructive engagement vs. leading by fear
or authority which is very common in the conservative East.

In 2013, he founded his own social start-up enterprise, From Grit To

Great Speakership Bureau, which provides organizations with
motivational speakers from Asia that can inspire students and
employees to greatness.

Over a
hundred
NGOs,
organizations
& 500 Fortune
Companies
inspired &
addressed
since 2013
Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
Over 50 regional conferences in Asia
addressed as keynote or plenary speaker on
marketing, leadership and e-commerce

World-class Pinoy
TESTIMONIES FOR JONATHAN’S TALKS:
Showcasing globally the Filipino talent in
leadership and business management

Jonathan's journey from being a scholar in Manila to becoming

the apprentice of Mr. Tony Fernandes is a beautiful story of grit.
His talk about leadership kept our heads nodding.
-J. Sabathier, Sales Leader, Google Malaysia

I am a fan. Jonathan’s talk on managing social media crisis is

an eye-opener and must-have for marketers.
- Margot Torres, VP for Marketing, Mcdonald’s Philippines

The Apprentice Asia winner is so inspiring!

Jon has moved young Singaporeans like me. I am thankful for
his career tips in bridging university life to corporate world. I
want to grow up just like him. 40th Annual
- Valerie Tan, AIESEC, Singapore National
Convention
Bali, Indonesia
Jonathan Yabut
Winner of The Apprentice Asia
Champion of Education in ASEAN
Advocating the improvement of education access in the region

Jonathan is a proud product of scholarship opportunities from

elementary school to university. Like Jonathan, there are millions of
Asians out there who have the potential to succeed but cannot do
so due to lack of financial resources or access to quality education.

Given his passion to reach out to the underserved education

community, a portion of the sales proceeds of Jonathan’s book
“From Grit To Great” are donated to selected NGOs in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam (~PHP 100,000 for turn-over by
end of 2015).

These partners cater to the mission of improving the quality of

teaching and providing financial assistance to less-privileged but
promising students of Asia. For more information, visit
www.jonathanyabut.com

Jonathan’s scholarship
partners from Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam, and
Philippines
Inspiring and motivating the Asian youth through Social Media…
 Remarks for Jonathan

“Although I am far from being a fan of this type of TV program [The Apprentice Asia], I like what Yabut mentioned in his
list. [He mentioned] that it pays to be prepared, to think big picture, to find and firm up your strengths…”
– Paul Coelho, renowned best-selling author of The Alchemist

“Yabut’s victory in The Apprentice Asia, came, all things considered, fair and square—
a microcosm of what the Pinoy can achieve if allowed to work in a healthy realm devoid of societal ills.”
— Rappler

“Jonathan Yabut has given inspiring encouragement to our homesick and discouraged kababayans who are eager to hear
his insights and strategies on working in a multi-cultural environment.
— Finely Filipino Magazine, the Magazine for OFWs in Singapore

“I can see thousands of young Asians inspired with Jonathan’s story.

It’s about time that Asia has finally found its role model for the youth.”
—Kathleen Tan, ex-CEO of Expedia Asia

“…No matter where Yabut’s dreams take him, his fans and fellow countrymen can always be assured
that he will forever be proud of being a Filipino.”
— GMA 7

“Yabut is a leading example of how excelling in diverse areas can be a catalyst for success.”
—The Borneo Post