Finalists announced for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Pacific program

Pacific entrepreneurs are capitalizing on market trends in the Transformative Age

VANCOUVER, July 9, 2019 /CNW/ - Each year EY recognizes unstoppable entrepreneurs who are bettering the world around them and cutting through the noise of this Transformative Age. Today, the firm named 42 finalists across 9 categories in its EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® Awards 2019 Pacific program.  

"Unstoppable entrepreneurs are resilient and courageous, and show strong leadership by creating a business culture where risk taking is rewarded," says Lui Petrollini, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Program Director. "This year's finalists certainly meet those criteria. They're innovative thinkers who capitalize on market trends and disrupt traditional industries. And they're doing it all while maintaining strong business integrity and extended community engagement."

Consistent with the findings from the EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer, economic uncertainty does not appear to be slowing these entrepreneurs down. Pacific finalists are a true representation of how dynamic the market is — with some players emerging in new industries, others evolving mature industries and some even diversifying current business models to withstand tough market pressures. Together, this year's 42 Pacific regional finalists currently employ approximately 7,500 people and generate annual revenues of nearly $1.5 billion.

"It's great to see the diversity of our finalists continue to grow year over year along with the makeup of our community," says Petrollini. "Beyond different industries, we have entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, age and genders coming into the program from across the region beyond the greater Vancouver area. This diversity is reflective of what makes a strong and inclusive economy, and we're proud to honour that through the program."

View the full list of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Pacific finalists

What's next?

The Pacific finalists will come together on 3 October 2019 in Vancouver at the annual awards gala, where EY will name one winner in each of the nine categories selected by the independent panel of judges. One of those category winners will be named the overall Pacific EY Entrepreneur Of The Year and will later compete with regional winners from Prairies, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic for the title of Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year. The Canadian winner will go on to compete with national winners from across the globe for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in June 2020.

More information

Follow @EYCanada, #EOYCanada and #EOYPacific on Twitter for the latest program updates.

Visit ey.com/ca/eoy for more program details and information on how to attend one of the regional galas across the country.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^®

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. ey.com/eoy

The 2019 Pacific independent judging panel consists of Ali Pejman, Partner, Fort Capital Partners; Cathy Thorpe, CEO, Nurse Next Door; Jill Earthy, Head of Growth, Female Funders; Keith Spencer, Partner, FASKEN; Marsha Walden, CEO, Destination British Columbia; Rob McCurdy, CEO, Pinnacle Renewable Energy; and Sacha McLean, Vice Chairman, The McLean Group.

This year's program national sponsors are ICI RDI, The TMX Group, The Globe and Mail Inc., Air Canada, Media One Creative and The Printing House Limited. Pacific regional sponsors are BCBusiness, Canadian Western Bank, Captivate Networks, Hunt Personnel Temporarily Yours and LEONE Luxury Fashion.

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.

For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.

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SOURCE EY (Ernst & Young)