NOMINATIONS have opened for the 25th running the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) programme, with a call for inspirational leaders from businesses across all sectors to submit their nominations between now and February 28.
Part of a global awards programme, it is open to entrepreneurs from all sectors and growth stages in Northern Ireland and the Republic, with eight finalists chosen from each of three categories - Emerging, Established and International.
Rob Heron, partner lead for EOY in Northern Ireland, said: “The 25th anniversary of the programme is a fantastic milestone and it’s an excellent opportunity to pause, reflect on and celebrate the fantastic creativity, determination and leadership that characterises entrepreneurs on the island of Ireland.
“What we've seen over the last two years in particular has cemented our belief that entrepreneurs are special. Our alumni of over 560 entrepreneurs have each displayed great innovation and ingenuity as they faced one of our biggest challenges, and they have each found creative ways to support their businesses, their people and their communities through the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He added: “We're proud to support entrepreneurs who are actively seeking to take their businesses to the next level and are keen to hear from a broad array of nominees across industries, age, gender, location and background.
“I am also personally very excited at the prospect of welcoming another cohort of tremendously talented entrepreneurs to this unique and incredibly supportive group.”
The 24 finalists will be selected by an independent judging panel comprising former winners and chaired by Anne Heraty of CPL Resources plc. And Aimee Connolly, chief executive of Sculpted by Aimee, winner of the 2021 Emerging EY Entrepreneur of the Year category, will join the judging panel for 2022.
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland programme - full nomination details of which can be found at www.eoy.ie - is supported by premium corporate sponsor Julius Baer International and government sponsors Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI.
