The finalists of the 2022 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme have been revealed today. The shortlisted entrepreneurs span a wide range of sectors including technology, consumer, manufacturing, energy, health and finance. Collectively this group of world class business leaders generate annual revenues in excess of €800 million.
The finalists from across the island of Ireland will compete across three categories – Emerging, Established and International – and one overall winner will be selected as The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2022 in November.
This year for the first time, a new Sustainability Award will be presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business.
Commenting on the announcement, Rob Heron, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme in Northern Ireland said: “Our entrepreneurs this year represent an impressive variety of industries, including consumer, healthcare, energy, banking, and manufacturing and it’s fantastic to see seven businesses from Northern Ireland featuring across all three finalist categories. From cutting edge software firms to innovative foodservice the scope of the impact that these entrepreneurs have across Northern Ireland and globally is vast.
“Harnessing the power of technology to empower businesses, customers and communities, to positively impact entire industries and to help change our future for the better is a key motivator for this year’s cohort of finalists. Whether they are at the helm of ambitious start-ups, established market leaders or leading businesses that are recognised as global players, our entrepreneurs are all striving to create solutions that drive positive change across the island of Ireland, be it through forward-thinking solutions in the agricultural sector, or data-driven fintech for example.
“We are hugely proud to celebrate 25 years of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland programme this year. Our theme ’The Changemakers’ couldn’t be more fitting to describe our finalists today. Each of our entrepreneurs is revolutionising their own industries and creating opportunities for Ireland and beyond. EY is proud to support the island’s entrepreneurs and I am delighted to formally welcome this year’s finalists into the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year community.”
The 2022 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ finalists are:
| Emerging | Established | International |
| John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services | Tom O’Connor & Kieran Cusack, Conack Construction Limited
|
Justin Lawless, Intact |
| Allan F. Beechinor & Niamh Parker, Altada | Harriet Dunne, ICE Comfort Slat Mats Ltd.
|
John T. O’Sullivan, BioAtlantis |
| Alan Carson, Cloudsmith
|
Louis Copeland, Louis Copeland & Sons Ltd.
|
Gregory Bradley, BLK BOX
|
| Caroline Dunlea, Core Optimisation
|
Andrew Lynas, Lynas Foodservice
|
Michael Dixon, Dixon International Logistics
|
| Helen Cahill, InvoiceFair
|
Michelle Daly, P&G Cards Ltd
|
Jacqueline O’Reilly, KonFloor
|
| Stephen Nolan, Nutritics
|
Alan Browne, KOREC
|
Michael Slein, LED Group ROBUS
|
| Fionn Lahart & Christoph Hennersperger, One Projects
|
Cathal Fay, PrePay Power | Jamie O’Rourke, Mainline
|
| Evelyn Kelly, Orphan Drug Consulting Ltd. | Paul Stewart, MyBaggage | Martin McKay, TextHelp
|
| Aidan Corbett & Jack Pierse, Wayflyer
|
The finalists have been shortlisted from more than 100 nominations by an independent judging panel of previous winners, chaired by Anne Heraty, Founder of CPL Resources Plc, and EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2006 who commented: “Such was the incredibly high calibre of applicants to this year’s programme it was a real challenge for our experienced judges to select the finalists. Despite the ongoing difficulties of COVID-19, and more recently the energy and inflation crisis and challenging geopolitical issues, it’s inspiring to see our entrepreneurs as tenacious and relentless as ever in their pursuit to create innovative businesses that benefit Ireland and the wider world.
“This year’s finalists have joined a courageous group of passionate people driving Irish entrepreneurship. They are now part of a special network of like-minded peers, unafraid to disrupt the status quo in a bid to seize new opportunities. I’d like to wish them all the very best in the programme. It’s an experience that will prove invaluable.”
Celebrating its 25th year this year, the programme has established itself as a world-class development programme that supports, promotes, and connects an extraordinary community of entrepreneurs, championing entrepreneurship throughout the island of Ireland and around the world.
Since its inception, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ community has grown to a tight-knit network of more than 585 alumni who harness each other’s wealth of experience, with three quarters (75%) conducting business with one another. Together, the EOY alumni community generates revenues of €21bn, and employs more than 170,000 people across the island of Ireland.
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.
For further information, please visit www.eoy.ie
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