Top CEOs and Entrepreneurs Assemble at 2010 Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010 Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum® brings together more than 1,700 industry icons and business leaders gathered in Palm Springs, CA, for the largest gathering of entrepreneurs in America. This year's Forum will focus on the need to rediscover, reshape and reconnect in order to succeed in this economy.

Speakers and panelists at the prestigious gathering of high-growth companies include more than 100 industry leaders such as Andy Bird, Chairman of Walt Disney International, Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group Ltd., Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, A.G. Lafley, Former Chairman, CEO and President of Procter & Gamble, Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Founder and CEO of Boston-Power, Inc., John Rice, Vice Chairman of General Electric Company, and Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn.  CEOs, board members, game-changing entrepreneurs, investors, advisors and economists will meet at the Forum to develop networks and strategic alliances, learn leading practices and report on the latest transactions.

"We're dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and market leaders rediscover their passion for innovation and take the careful risks necessary in this economy to expand their high-growth organizations," said Maria Pinelli, Americas Director, Strategic Growth Markets, Ernst & Young LLP. "The Strategic Growth Forum offers these dedicated CEOs access to master strategies for corporate growth, information about capital markets and potential strategic alliances. The event also celebrates entrepreneurs while helping them to build a stronger organization as the economy recovers."  

The Forum features two main tracks:

• IPO and Transaction Readiness - this series of panels will provide guidance on how to develop an IPO or transaction from beginning to end and what is necessary in between to be successful.  These sessions can help a company prepare for an IPO, discuss exit strategy challenges and provide market outlooks for IPOs and mergers and acquisitions.
• What's Next on the Growth Agenda - these sessions will cover key areas of potential growth and ways to leverage the new business environment, including panels on China, social media business strategies and the future of smart energy.

The Forum also includes:

• The 24th annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® awards - the culminating event of the Forum, this gala is hosted by Jay Leno and will honor the 2010 national Entrepreneur Of The Year® winners. The overall winner will represent the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® awards in 2011. Since 1986, the awards have expanded from one to 26 programs across the US, and to more than 50 countries and over 135 cities around the world.
• Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ - the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is designed to help accelerate the growth of high-potential businesses founded by women entrepreneurs by connecting them with the advisors, resources and insights they need to scale their businesses.

Ernst & Young is committed to reducing the environmental impact of the Strategic Growth Forum. For the fourth consecutive year, Ernst & Young LLP is working with Carbonfund.org, a leading nonprofit climate solutions organization, to calculate and offset the event's carbon footprint. Ernst & Young LLP has now donated $50,000 to support Carbonfund.org's third-party validated carbon reduction projects and is reducing over 11 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to planting over 1,000 acres of pine forest.

For more information and daily updates right from the Forum floor, please visit: http://www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Sponsors

The 2010 Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum is pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors.

About Ernst & Young's Strategic Growth Markets Practice

Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multi-disciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EYSGM.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP