Louis Roy of Optel Group named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Québec

Annual awards gala celebrates daring local entrepreneurs

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - Louis Roy, President and Founder of Optel Group, a leading multinational provider of industrial sector traceability, measurement and control systems, is this year's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Québec winner.

"Louis exemplifies what it means to be forward thinking," says Daniel Baer, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Québec Program Co-Director. "He saw an opportunity where others didn't and set about creating customized and innovative solutions using a variety of technologies such as optics, engineering, software development and robotics."

Louis anticipated how the spread of counterfeit drugs would challenge the pharmaceutical industry and identified a solution. When the regulation to compel pharmaceutical companies to trace their medicines came into force, Optel Group was already the top supplier worldwide. Today, its clients are some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.

"Louis has proven how embracing innovation can create growth that leads to quality jobs around the world," says Luc Charbonneau, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Québec Program Co-Director. "His message deserves to be heard and adopted by other business leaders: you can lead a company that's profitable and contribute to a better world."

Since Louis founded Optel Group in 1989, the company has grown into new geographies with operation sites now in Ireland, India and Brazil. Louis has a unique mission: to build a viable world for our children by deploying technological solutions that solve real collective problems. Optel Group employees contribute to this mission through various activities aimed at protecting the environment and supporting local communities.

"Louis's vision is inspiring. He sees the need to further the social responsibility of his company to help society face the upside of disruption. It's the desire to transform and improve everything he touches that guides his business decisions," says Baer. "We are honoured to present Louis with this award and look forward to seeing how his business evolves."

What's next?
As the Québec region's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017, Louis will compete with top entrepreneurs from the Pacific, Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic regions for the national honour of Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017, to be presented at a gala celebration on 30 November 2017 in Toronto. In June 2018, Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 will move to the world stage to compete with more than 50 country recipients for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year.

This year, Canada took home the gold. Murad Al-Katib of AGT Food and Ingredients was named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 in Monaco this past June. Murad is a shining example of accelerating growth with purpose.

More information
Follow @EYCanada, #EOYQuebec and #GPEQuebec on Twitter for the latest event updates.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Québec category award recipients:

Business-to-Business Products and Services
Optel Group | Québec City
Louis Roy
www.optelgroup.com

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services
Groupe Germain Hôtels | Québec City
Christiane Germain, Jean-Yves Germain
www.groupegermain.com

Emerging Entrepreneur
District M Inc. | Montréal
JF Côté
www.districtm.ca

Life Sciences
Theratechnologies Inc. | Montréal
Luc Tanguay
www.theratech.com (TSX: TH)

Manufacturing & Distribution
Quadra Chemicals Ltd. | Vaudreuil-Dorion
Tony Infilise
www.quadra.ca

Natural Resources
Stornoway Diamond Corporation | Longueuil
Dr. Matt Manson, Patrick Godin
www.stornowaydiamonds.com (TSX: SWY)

Real Estate/Construction
Cogir Immobilier S.E.N.C | Brossard
Mathieu Duguay
www.cogir.net

Services
Dalfen America Corp/Dalfen Ltd. | Montréal
Murray Dalfen
www.dalfen.com

Technology
Bioastra Technologies Inc. | Montréal
Sumitra Rajagopalan
www.bioastratech.com

Young Entrepreneur
Wilder Harrier (Hexa Foods Inc.) | Montréal
Paul Shenouda
www.wilderharrier.com

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/ca/EOY

The 2017 Québec independent judging panel consists of Anne Darche, President, Pertinence Inc.; Marie-Anne Tawil, President and CEO, Iron Hill Investments Inc.; Andrew Richardson, President, Targray; and Jacques Foisy, President and Managing Director, Novacap.

This year's program national sponsors are TEC Canada, La Presse, RDI, The TMX Group, The Globe and Mail Inc., Merrill Corporation, Kira Talent, Air Canada, SheEO, The Printing House Limited, Hillberg & Berk and MediaOne Creative. Québec regional sponsors are Captivate Network and Bell.

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.

EY is proudly celebrating 150 years in Canada. For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

SOURCE EY (Ernst & Young)

Camille Larivière, [email protected], Montréal, 514 879 8021; Matt O'Connor, [email protected], Calgary, 403 206 5675; Victoria McQueen, [email protected], Toronto, 416 943 3141