From feft: Mohammed al-Abdan, Noora al-Mannai, Firas Qoussous, Tom Kingsley during a meeting to announce the award nomination yesterday
Enterprise Qatar and Ernst & Young yesterday announced the launch of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 award in Qatar (EOY 2011 Qatar).
Noora al-Mannai, chief executive officer, Enterprise Qatar, said that to be eligible for consideration for the award, nominees must be owners and managers who are primarily responsible for the recent performance of a privately held business that is at least two years old, or founder shareholders of a listed company who are still active in senior management or are still a 51% owner.
Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Tom Kingsley, marketing director at Ernst & Young MENA, said that the application period, ending early February, gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to work closely with Ernst & Young to develop their application and get advice from experts in the field.
Al-Mannai added that the programme also allows for valuable networking and learning opportunities. The award will be announced at a gala dinner in early to mid March.
The winner of Qatar’s contest will have the opportunity to compete against winners from all over the world’s competitions in June, in Monte Carlo, the capital of Monaco.
Globally, the event is held in 140 cities across 50 countries and has been running for 25 years.
Al-Mannai said: “This is the first year that the award has been held in Qatar, and we at Enterprise Qatar are delighted to help bring such a prestigious programme to the country. The SME sector is playing an increasingly important role in Qatar’s economy and Enterprise Qatar wants to help support and fuel this. Qatar is a significant powerhouse of the global economy, with our entrepreneurs acting as crucial pillars of this growth. Launching the Ernst & Young EOY 2011 Qatar award is an important way to support this advancement.”
Firas Qoussous, managing partner, Ernst & Young Qatar, said: “As the world’s largest and most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs the Entrepreneur of the Year Award will provide an opportunity for Qatar’s leading entrepreneurs to showcase their talents. Being part of this programme provides these companies with a platform to talk openly to other entrepreneurs and the independent judges making valuable contacts that will benefit their company as it continues to grow.”
Mohammed al-Abdan, chief business operating officer, Enterprise Qatar, said: “Ernst & Young’s EOY 2011 in Qatar brings something completely new to the country. What attracted Enterprise Qatar most to this award is that it is an established programme that recognises our country’s talents and rewards it; while also having an international dimension and benchmark for success. We have a lot of energy and passion in our local business community, which can certainly hold up against competitors from around the world. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award enables us to both learn from others’ successes as well as showcase our own business community’s abilities.”
Self-nominations are encouraged and there is no fee to enter. Application forms can be downloaded from the MENA Entrepreneur of the Year website or entrants may contact the EOY 2011 Qatar programme manager.