The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) programme celebrates its 25th anniversary on the island of Ireland this year and officially opens its call for nominations today (20 January).
Entrepreneurs from emerging businesses to established international groups, across all sectors, are invited to submit their nominations between now and 28 February 2022.
The programme is open to entrepreneurs from all sectors and growth stages in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The awards programme is divided into three categories - Emerging, Established and International - with eight finalists chosen per category.
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This year, the programme’s inaugural EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Sustainability Award will also be presented to one of the finalists, recognising the critical importance of innovation leadership in meeting our collective sustainability challenges. This award will be presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business.
Commenting on the awards, Rob Heron, Partner Lead for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ in Northern Ireland said: “The 25th anniversary of the programme is a fantastic milestone and it’s an excellent opportunity to pause, reflect on and celebrate the fantastic creativity, determination and leadership that characterises entrepreneurs on the island of Ireland. What we have seen over the last two years in particular has cemented our belief that entrepreneurs are special. Our alumni of over 560 entrepreneurs have each displayed great innovation and ingenuity as they faced one of our biggest challenges, and they have each found creative ways to support their businesses, their people and their communities through the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Rob also added: "It has been so inspiring to see how Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurs continually strive to find new, sustainable ways of delivering their products and services. They are constantly innovating to protect our future and transforming their businesses to help address some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. I’m delighted that this year we will have the opportunity to recognise one of our finalists who are leading the way in this space and who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice.”
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The 24 finalists will be selected by an independent judging panel, comprising former winners and chaired by Anne Heraty of CPL Resources plc.
Aimee Connolly, CEO, Sculpted by Aimee and winner of the 2021 Emerging EY Entrepreneur Of The Year category, will join the judging panel this year.
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme is supported by Premium Corporate Sponsor Julius Baer International, and Government sponsors Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.
Anyone interested can find out more or complete an online nomination form at www.eoy.ie. Those nominating someone else must do so with the entrepreneur’s consent.
Source: Written from press release.
