Harley Sparke named as a nominee in the 2014 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards
by Fil
QLD’s top entrepreneurs in the running for Entrepreneur Of The Year title
EY today announced the elite group of entrepreneurs from Queensland who are in the running to be named as this year’s Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM.
Sixteen outstanding Queenslanders will join the list of 84 talented entrepreneurs from across the country nominated for this year’s awards. The nominees come from a diverse range of fields including resources, mining services, food, construction, and environmental management.
EY’s Brisbane Managing Partner, Jenny Parker said it was inspiring to see such an impressive and diverse group of candidates taking part in this year’s nominations process.
“EY has been running the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards in Australia since 2001 and the fact that, 14 years on, we are still seeing such amazing nominees coming through the program reinforces the high calibre of entrepreneurialism Queensland has on offer,” Parker said.
“The kind of innovative thinking we are witnessing amongst this group of entrepreneurs is so important. Entrepreneurs make a significant contribution to Queensland’s business community – creating jobs, driving innovation and productivity, boosting the economy and inspiring others to act on opportunities.”
“We congratulate all of our 2014 Northern Region nominees for being selected to take part in this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program and wish them all the best in their journey towards the national competition.”
Grahame Petersen, Group Executive Business and Private Banking, Commonwealth Bank, said the Bank is proud to support a program that celebrates entrepreneurial thinking.
“This is the third year Commonwealth Bank has been the principal sponsor of the awards and we consistently see an impressive standard of business pioneers nominated for the coveted title of Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The Year.
“The awards set the benchmark for innovation and leadership in business and it is a huge honour for nominees to be associated with the program. This year’s finalist line-up reflects the breadth of talent across a range of industries and showcases the individuals who are at the forefront of Australian enterprise,” Mr Petersen said.
The only truly global program of its kind, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is considered the world’s most prestigious business award, with entrepreneurs participating from more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Each country’s program sends its overall winner to the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards in Monte Carlo.
The Northern Region nominees will first vie for regional honours at an award ceremony in Brisbane on 31 July. Winners will then go on to compete against winners from the other regions at the national awards, which will be held in Melbourne at the end of November. The overall Australian winner will travel to Monte Carlo next year to represent Australia at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, following in the footsteps of previous Australian winners including Andrew Bassat of SEEK (2013) and Anthony Podesta of McMillan Shakespeare (2012).
The list of Northern Region nominees in the 2014 Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program is below. Additional information, including biographies for each of the nominees and the full list of nominees from each of the regions, is also available online at ey.com/au/eoy.
Northern Region (QLD) nominees
- Joe Andon – Vuly Trampolines
- Brad Couper – simPRO Software
- Gary Crosby – Intelligent Pathways
- Carl Hartmann – Temando Pty Ltd
- Maxine Horne – Vita Group
- Llew Jury – Reload Media
- Shane Leaney – Videopro
- Tudor Marsden-Huggins – Employment Office
- Geoff Pike – General Trade Industries
- Harley Sparke – The Corporate Protection Australia Group
- Leigh Storr – BioSolar
- Grant Wechsel – One Key Resources
- John West – DGL (Aust) Pty Ltd
- Listed award – Philip St Baker – ERM Power Limited
- Social entrepreneur – Jean Madden – Street Swags
- Champion of Entrepreneurship – Tim Crommelin – Morgans
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognises the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognising them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.
The Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program, launched in 2001, is conducted in five regions culminating in the national awards. The program honours entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and perseverance have created and sustained successful, growing business ventures. Entrepreneur Of The Year’s primary objective is to identify, acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contribution entrepreneurs make to the Australian business community and economy.
The Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year program now has alumni of over 1,200 entrepreneurs who have participated in the program. Since the program’s inception more than 15,000 people have attended Entrepreneur Of The Year events and award ceremonies in Australia.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young Australia, a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Rebecca Aley
Ernst & Young Australia
+61 2 9276 9305 or +61 418 835 849