Dublin, 15 June: The 24 finalists of the 2020 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme have been revealed today. 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™ 2020 in November.
Commenting on the announcement, Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme said: “2020 has been a challenging year so far for many businesses but we know that if there is one group that will rise to that challenge, it’s our island’s entrepreneurs. The judges have selected an exceptional group of businesspeople from a very impressive pool of nominees. This year we’ve seen lots of newer, cutting-edge tech and life sciences businesses nominated, as well as more established and traditional players. This year’s finalists are a diverse group, representing a huge range of industries, all of whom share an insatiable hunger for growth and incredible resilience to challenges. As we begin reopening our economies, North and South, our entrepreneurial businesses will be essential to recovery. We at 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 2020 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ finalists are:
| Emerging | Industry | International |
| Brendan McDowell, BPerfect Cosmetics | Antonia Hendron, M50 Truck and Van Centre | Andrew Mackin, Mackin |
| Devan Hughes, Buymie | Cormac McCloskey, Errigal Contracts Ltd | Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Poppulo |
| Gary Wickham, MagGrow | Ed Donovan, Advanced Medical Services | Cathal Friel, Open Orphan Plc |
| John Goulding & Joe Lennon, Workvivo | Frank & Dolores Kiernan, Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd | Conor O’Loughlin, Glofox |
| Leonora O’Brien, Pharmapod | John O’Connell, West Cork Distillers | Nicola Mitchell, Life Scientific |
| Matt Cooper, Inflazome | Kevin O’Connor, General Paints Group | Pat Lucey, Aspira |
| Ríona Ní Ghriallais & Conor Harkin, ProVerum | Paul Fitzgibbon & Neil Fitzgibbon, Ard Ri Marble | Rodney Lowry, Lowe Rental Ltd |
| Dr. Sinéad B. Bleiel, AnaBio Technologies Ltd. | Seamus O’Hara, Carlow Brewing Company | Tim Houstoun, Global Shares |
The 24 finalists have been shortlisted from more than 100 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.
Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources Plc, and Chair of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ judging panel commented: “2020 so far has been a strange and challenging time for all of us in business, and this year’s judging process has taken place against a very different backdrop to the last number of years. The judging panel again had the unenviable task of coming to a final shortlist of 24 finalists from an incredibly talented pool of nominees, but we’re all in agreement that those we’ve selected represent the very best of entrepreneurial talent across the island. 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 23rd 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 525 alumni who harness each other’s wealth of experience, with 77% now doing business with one another.
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme is supported by Premium Corporate Sponsor Julius Baer International, and Government agency partners Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. For further information, please visit www.eoy.ie.
