World's leading entrepreneurs gather for 16th EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™

LONDON, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 16th EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award and Forum will take place between 7 and 12 June 2016 in Monaco. This year 55 entrepreneurs representing 50 countries will compete for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016, to be announced during a gala awards ceremony on 11 June.

This year's finalists are some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, and together they have:

• Combined revenues of approximately US$24b
• Average revenues of US$496m
• Combined revenue growth of 74% in the last three years (2012-2015)
• Average annual revenue growth of 20%
• More than 100,000 employees combined – with job growth of 33% in the last three years (2012-2015)

In addition to the award, this year's program includes a series of summits, keynote interviews, panel discussions and events of special interest to entrepreneurs, government officials and business leaders in attendance, including EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni. Sessions under the theme "Does disruption knock you off course or inspire new paths to growth?" will give attendees the opportunity to share disruptive ideas, challenge conventional ways of thinking and discover together new opportunities to navigate disruption and drive growth.

Bryan Pearce, EY Global Leader – EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, says:

"For more than 30 years, EY has believed in the power of entrepreneurship to drive innovation and growth that help build a better working world. An entrepreneur's ability to take an idea and then build, scale and nurture a great company inspires us. This is why each year we are proud to offer the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Program, the pre-eminent recognition of entrepreneurial excellence.

"While there can only be one winner, all of our finalists have demonstrated the tenacity, agility, strategic vision and relentless focus on execution that are needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. This event is a celebration of all of these amazing entrepreneurs, but is also an opportunity to recognize the power of entrepreneurship broadly. Entrepreneurs innovate new products, services and business processes and positively disrupt industries, which leads to economic growth."

This year's finalists include Oswald Loewy of Sempertex S.A. (Colombia); Ilkka Paananen of  Supercell (Finland); John Collison and Patrick Collison of Stripe (Ireland); Say Jim Tan of IRIS Corporation Berhad (Malaysia); Antonio Armejo of Ilender (Peru); Nico Jose Nolledo of Xurpas Inc. (Philippines); Richard Steeves of Synergy Health Plc (United Kingdom); and Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks (United States). Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago will be represented for the first time.

The overall winner is chosen by an independent judging panel of distinguished former EY Entrepreneur Of The Year winners and other well-known entrepreneurs. The award is given on the basis of six criteria, giving all country winners an equal opportunity to compete: entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, global (or community) impact, innovation and personal integrity/influence.

The independent judging panel will be chaired by Rebecca MacDonald of Just Energy Group (Canada). Joining her will be:

• Rosario Bazán of DanPer (Peru)
• Ivan Epstein of Sage International (South Africa)
• Jim Nixon of Sandvik Venture (US)
• Lance Uggla of Markit (UK)
• Dr. Kar Wong of The Advanced Group of Companies (Singapore)
• Michael Wu of Hong Kong Maxim's Group (China)

Keynote addresses will be delivered by speakers including Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Dan Schulman, President and CEO of PayPal; Amal Clooney, International Human Rights Attorney of Doughty Street Chambers; André Hoffmann, Non-executive Vice-Chairman of Roche Holding Ltd.; Giuseppe Lavazza, Vice-Chairman and Member of the Board of Luigi Lavazza SpA.; and last year's World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winner Mohed Altrad, CEO of Altrad Group among others.

The five-day itinerary will also include Accelerating Entrepreneurs, where five high-potential entrepreneurs from across Europe will discuss plans to scale their companies with a panel of "Growth Coaches" during the event in Monaco.

Previous winners of the prestigious World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award include: Mohed Altrad, CEO of Altrad Group (France), 2015; Uday Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (India), 2014; Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani, Inc. (US) 2013; Dr. James Mwangi, CEO and Managing Director of Equity Bank Limited (Kenya), 2012; Olivia Lum, Group Chairman and Group CEO, Hyflux Limited (Singapore), 2011; Cho Tak Wong, Chairman, Fuyao Glass Industry Group (China), 2009; Guy Laliberté, Founder and CEO, Cirque du Soleil (Canada), 2007; and Narayana Murthy, Founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited (India), 2003.  

A full list of speakers, panelists and the 55 country winners competing this year is available at ey.com/weoy.

Notes to Editors

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^TM
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. ey.com/weoy

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