Nominations open for 2023 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme

2023 Programme will celebrate The Art of Entrepreneurship

Dublin, 19 January 2023: The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ (EOY) programme 2023 is officially open for nominations today. Entrepreneurs from emerging, established and international businesses operating across all industry sectors on the island of Ireland, are invited to submit their nominations between now and 2 March 2023.

The theme for this year’s programme is The Art of Entrepreneurship. This year EY will recognise and celebrate entrepreneurs who apply their unique vision and skill to create and build businesses that leave a valuable and lasting impact on the local communities and the economies in which they operate.

Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland said:

“We are very excited to invite entrepreneurs from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to submit their nominations for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2023 programme. Over the past 26 years this programme has gone from strength to strength and has become an important part of our entrepreneurial ecosystem. The impact of our indigenous business sector, both locally and globally, is hugely significant. The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Programme™ exists to celebrate and inspire talented and brave entrepreneurs who seize the opportunity to do things differently and achieve great success in the process.

At EY we are proud to support entrepreneurs who are actively seeking to take their businesses to the next level. Over the years, we’ve had applications from a diverse range of sectors including tech, life sciences, food, construction, retail, manufacturing and more. We are keen to receive nominations, across industries, age groups, gender, location, and background. In addition, to being part of our exciting awards programme, the selected finalists will join our illustrious alumni – a truly unique group of leading entrepreneurs who continuously support and drive each other to ever greater heights.”

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ alumni community comprises over 580 entrepreneurs representing some of the greatest business minds across the island of Ireland. Collectively these businesses employ more than 200,000 people and generate revenues in excess of €23billion.

About the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme is open to entrepreneurs from all sectors and growth stages in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The awards programme is divided into three categories - Emerging, Established and International - with eight finalists chosen per category.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Sustainability Award will also be presented to one of the finalists in recognition of their business’ significant contribution towards achieving and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Roger added, “The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Sustainability award recognises entrepreneurs who are making a genuine difference in the critical area of environmental sustainability. This award celebrates those business leaders who are taking an innovative approach to provide sustainable solutions to today’s important environmental challenges and ultimately to protect the future of our planet for future generations.”

EOY Judging Panel

The 24 finalists will be selected by an independent judging panel, comprising former winners and chaired by Anne Heraty of CPL Resources plc.

Speaking at the launch, Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources plc and Chairperson of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Judging™ Panel said: 

“While the business environment remains challenging, entrepreneurs have been relentless in their pursuit of excellence. They remain as committed as ever to playing their part in strengthening and supporting the resilience of the communities and economies across the island of Ireland in an uncertain climate. We know there are many more brilliant and creative entrepreneurs who are achieving incredible success across the island of Ireland.  I encourage these entrepreneurs to take the opportunity to submit their nominations for this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme. Having been involved with the programme for over 17 years I know first-hand the value of being part of it.”

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.

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For further information, images and interview opportunities please contact: 

Anne Marie Butler, Communications Manager, EY | e: anne.marie.butler@ie.ey.com | p: +353 86 873 2234  

Notes to Editor

ENTRY CRITERIA

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is an all-island programme. Nominees must either be Irish or running a company based on the island of Ireland. Nominees must own a minimum of 5% of the company and be primarily responsible for the recent performance of a company to be eligible to apply. Founders of publicly listed companies are eligible, provided that the founder is still active in management.  

While most nominations come from the entrepreneurs themselves, anyone can nominate a successful entrepreneur with the entrepreneur’s consent, including employees, company advisors and financiers. Nominations close on 2 March 2023.

WHAT FINALISTS CAN EXPECT

This year’s 24 finalists will engage in a strategic growth programme over a 10-month period which includes a week-long CEO Retreat. As part of this retreat, the finalists will join a group of more than 100 previous finalists and winners of the programme where they will meet a range of world-class entrepreneurs, businesspeople and academics. 

The finalists will also be welcomed into a community of 580 peers in the Irish EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ community. To date, three quarters (75%) of the alumni of the programme have conducted business with one another. Together, the EOY alumni community generates revenues of €23bn, and employs more than 200,000 across the island of Ireland.

The programme will include executive education sessions; networking fora; extensive media profiling; the annual Gala Awards. An award is presented for each category, and an overall winner will be announced at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards in November.  The overall winner will represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards the following June. 

AWARD CATEGORIES

Emerging: Nominees in the Emerging category run businesses that have been trading for a minimum of two years. They are ambitious entrepreneurs who have started a business which is growing quickly. They are high potential, dynamic, resourceful and ‘ones-to-watch’ for the future.

Established: Established, longstanding businesses with a pedigree of growth and innovation, contributing significantly as employers on the Island of Ireland. Including some of our greatest family businesses, our Established finalists are market leaders in their sectors and have made a significant contribution to the economy over a considerable period of time.

International: The International category consists of entrepreneurs who are global players. Their companies operate in multiple markets across the globe and can be headquartered here in Ireland or overseas.

The Sustainability Award: Recognising the critical importance of innovation leadership in meeting our collective sustainability challenges, we are introducing the new Sustainability award to the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme. This award is presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business. They are striving to protect our future by providing solutions and taking transformative business actions to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues and concerns.

ABOUT EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR™

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme is a global recognition programme run in 145 cities in more than 60 countries. Currently in its 26th year in Ireland, the programme works to recognise, promote and build a supportive community around Ireland’s high-growth entrepreneurs and is considered one of the strongest programmes globally.

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