Dublin, 13 May 2021: The 24 finalists of the 2021 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme have been revealed today. The entrepreneurs, which span the retail, consumer, technology, health and leisure sectors among many more, collectively generate annual revenues in excess of €1.325bn. The finalists from across the island of Ireland will compete across three categories – Emerging, Industry and International – and one overall winner will be selected as The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2021 in November.
Commenting on the announcement, Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme said: “This year’s finalists highlight the vibrant diversity of the entrepreneurial landscape across the island of Ireland, with sectors including technology, consumer, leisure and healthcare all represented, as well as our highest ever proportion of female finalists which is great to see.”
“The ability of entrepreneurs to embed the power of digital into all aspects of their businesses is reflected strongly in this year’s cohort of finalists, who include a number of exceptional consumer goods businesses reaching international markets, achieving exponential growth in the past year, along with the highest quality companies leading the way in health testing and antimicrobial technology amongst others. In what has been a really tough period of trading for many entrepreneurs, it has been equally uplifting to see so many manufacturing finalists also thriving, and able to continue growing their businesses and employment in the current environment. The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme is very much an all island one, and I am delighted to see the quality of entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland remains so strong.
EY are proud to play our part in supporting the island’s entrepreneurs and I am delighted to formally welcome this year’s finalists into the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year community.”
The 2021 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ finalists are:
| Emerging | Industry | International |
| Niall Horgan & Diarmuid McSweeney, Gym Plus Coffee | David Henderson, Tobermore Concrete Limited | Brian O’Sullivan, Zeus Packaging |
| Lisa & Vanessa Creaven, Spotlight Oral Care | Dominic Walsh, HSL – Hospital Services Limited | Peter Foley, LetsGetChecked |
| Aimee Connolly, Sculpted by Aimee | Brody Sweeney, Camile Thai Group | Michael Burke, Chanelle Pharma Unlimited Company |
| Chupi Sweetman, Chupi | Joseph Doherty, Regen Waste | Colin Lynch, EPS (Electronic Product Services Limited) |
| Roisin Molloy, TriMedika Ltd | Fergus Naughton, Peter Smith Engineering Services Limited | Karl McHugh, Atlantic Dawn Unlimited Company |
| Conor & James McCarthy, Flipdish | Jim Darragh, Total Mobile | Kevin Brennan, Modubuild Ltd |
| Xuemei Germaine, MicroGen BioTech | Oonagh O’Hagan, Meaghers Pharmacy | Jaqueline O’Reilly, KonFloor IRL Ltd |
| John Browne, Kastus | Michael McKinney, Inishowen Engineering Manufacturing Limited | Brian & Jackie Reid, Deli Lites (Ireland) Ltd |
The 24 finalists have been shortlisted from more than 120 nominations by an independent judging panel of previous winners, chaired by Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources Plc, and EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2006 who commented: “Entrepreneurs are facing one of the most challenging business environments we’ve seen and we continue to be impressed by their relentless determination and resilience in an uncertain climate. The calibre of all the applicants has been truly inspiring. While some of our finalists have had to navigate a very turbulent year, some have been able to seize unexpected opportunities to accelerate growth.”
“This year’s finalists are at the start of what will be such an exciting journey, not just this year but as they become part of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ community. I’d like to wish them the very best at the beginning of an unforgettable journey through the programme and beyond.’’
Now in its 24th 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 550 alumni who harness each other’s wealth of experience, with more than three quarters (77%) conducting business with one another. Together, the EOY alumni community generates revenues of €21bn, and employs more than 200,000 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.
