The finalists of the 2024 edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EoY) awards have been announced, representing 24 companies that will compete throughout the 10-month-long programme.
This year’s shortlist includes entrepreneurs from across the island from a diverse range of industries including pharmaceuticals, energy and consumer goods.
Taken together, the group of finalists generates revenues above €700 million each year, EY said, employing more than 4,000 people.
The finalists will compete within their three categories — emerging, established and international — with one overall winner to be announced as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 at a gala awards ceremony in November.
A sustainability award will also be presented to the finalists making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability.
The finalists in the emerging category are: Kasper Weber Anderson and Liam McMahon of Beyond Creative; Séamus Tighe of Ecoplex Energy Solutions; Sharon Cunningham and Orlaith Ryan of Shorla Oncology; Adrian Gilbane and Will Kennedy of Sons; Jack Kirwan of Sprout & Co; Ciarán Burke and Andrea Reynolds of Swoop; Denise Phillips of Voduz; and Damian Young of Zeus Mobility.
In the established category, the finalists are: Duncan O’Toole of Captured Carbon; Hugh Cormican of Cirdan Imaging Ltd; Pádraic O’Kane of Corporate.ie; Connor McCandless of Energystore; Ruth Mackey, David Mackey and John Mackey of Mbryonics Limited; Sean Moran of Home Project Centre; Clare Hughes of CF Pharma Group (including Telenostic); and Dr Barry Flannery of Xerotech.
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Last, the finalists in the international category are: Rosaleen Hyde and Maxine Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods; David Maguire of BNRG Renewables; Kenneth Fox of Channel Mechanics; Conor Hanley of FIRE1; Gilbert Yates of Healthcare Ireland; Brendan Mee of MTM Engineering; Ivor Queally of QK Group South Africa; and Jonathan Larbey and Mark Gilmartin of T-Pro.
Roger Wallace, EY partner lead for the EoY programme, said the awards received their highest-ever number of nominations this year. “Our finalists hail from a diverse mix of backgrounds and are at the helm of some of the most inspiring and innovative businesses in their industries. They are all true trailblazers — leaders with the courage and capacity to plot and follow their path, pushing conventional boundaries and limits.
“Each of the finalists is exploring new markets and technologies to solve challenges and find solutions that are revolutionising their own industries and creating opportunities for their local communities, the island of Ireland and beyond.”
This year’s finalists will engage in a strategic growth programme over a 10-month period which includes a week-long chief executive retreat in Cape Town, South Africa.
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 entrepreneurs, businesspeople and academics.
The overall winner will represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in 2025.
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