Owner-managers of businesses from all over Ireland will get the chance to test their entrepreneurial skills against those of their peers in the 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
The search is on for Ireland's new entrepreneur of the year, to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Mr Eddie Jordan, Mr Denis O'Brien, and the creators of Riverdance, Mr John Colgan and Ms Moya Doherty.
The prestigious awards programme, created, developed and run by Ernst & Young, sponsored by Citibank in association with The Irish Times, and endorsed by Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Board in Northern Ireland, sets out to identify the leading entrepreneurs on the island of Ireland.
The awards are targeted at owner-managers who are primarily responsible for the recent performance of a company that is at least two years old. An exception to this may be made in the case of a younger e-business operation where business model planning and execution show a strong trend toward profitability, Ernst & Young said. Founders of public companies are also eligible, provided the founder is still active in top management, it added.
Anyone associated with the entrepreneur can make the nomination, including the individual themselves.
The closing date for nominations is Friday, March 30th. Nomination forms and further information can be obtained from a special website www.eoy.ie, or from Ernst & Young offices.
The programme in Ireland is part of a series run by Ernst & Young across the world. All short-listed nominees automatically gain access to a European network of entrepreneurs, with whom they can share experiences and discuss business development opportunities.
The overall Irish winner will represent Ireland in the 2002 World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Last year's winner Mr Eddie Jordan will represent Ireland in the 2001 event in Monte Carlo next May.
The selection panel for this year's event is chaired by Mr Denis O'Brien.
As well as selecting an overall winner, winners will be selected in three categories - emerging entrepreneur, industry entrepreneur and technology entrepreneur.
Speaking at the launch of the awards, Mr Enda Kelly, partner in charge of the awards programme at Ernst & Young, said they were designed to recognise, reward and encourage entrepreneurship across the economy.
"Ireland is developing a tremendous international reputation for entrepreneurship, and our ability to encourage and reward this most vital characteristic will be critical to our continued economic development," he said. "This awards scheme is designed to foster the development of a special community of entrepreneurs in our economy. It's about inspiring entrepreneurial leadership through a creative programme that recognises and incentivises entrepreneurs' success."
Illustrating the value of participating in the awards, Mr Kelly referred to a number of business decision support tools that are made available to nominees.
"The business evolution decision tool is a practical and proven facilitated session which enables entrepreneurs to review their business against five key drivers of value, address the key issues impacting their future, state position and then conclude with an actions set to carry the business towards future goals," he said.
