Kerryman wins top entrepreneur award

A Kerryman has been named World Entrepreneur of the Year, it was revealed today.

A Kerryman has been named World Entrepreneur of the Year, it was revealed today.

Bill Lynch, originally from Ballybunion, left Ireland for South Africa in 1971 with around €3,000 in his pocket and no work and began building the country's largest transport firm.

He joined a car dealership which was losing thousands every year and led a turn around in its fortunes.

The company, Imperial Holdings, now has annual revenues of €6.5 billion and employs 36,000 people across three continents.

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The 52-year-old received the 2006 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year awards at a glittering ceremony in Monte Carlo yesterday.