Tinubu, 64 others set for EY’s entrepreneur award in Monaco
Jubril Adewale Tinubu, chief executive officer, Oando plc, will join 64 other entrepreneurs in Monaco for the 15th Ernst&Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
The global event will be held between June 03 and June 07. Tinubu, who won the EY Entrepeneur of the Year Award in West Africa last year, will be among the 65 country winners, representing 53 countries, to compete for the world title.
This will also enable them to enter the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame, joining the 572 previous finalists of the global event since 2001.
The winner will be announced at a ceremony on the evening of Saturday, June 06, at Salle Des Étoiles, Monaco. As one of Africa’s largest integrated energy solutions providers with a proud heritage, Oando Plc is the first African company to have a dual listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The company has seen revenue grow by more than 200 percent between 2007 and 2013. Two years ago, it acquired the entire business of ConocoPhillips in Nigeria for US$1.5 billion.
Speaking on the award, Bunmi Akinde, EY Entrepreneur of the Year Leader for West Africa, says the award is not only designed to honour the contributions and achievements of successful entrepreneurs but also serves to inspire other budding entrepreneurs across the world.
According to Akinde, entrepreneurs are one of the greatest sources of sustainable economic growth, and EY is celebrating their achievements.
“The 15th World Entrepreneur of the Year event will celebrate the legacy that entrepreneurs leave through the innovations, jobs and economic growth they create, all of which help to build a better working world,” Akinde says.
“EY is committed to advising, guiding and recognising entrepreneurs and I am glad that Wale Tinubu will be representing West Africa at the global event,” Akinde adds.
This year’s program with the theme ‘How are we reshaping our world’ will feature a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions and events of special interest to entrepreneurs and influential business leaders in attendance, including EY World Entrepreneur of the Year alumni. The sessions will look at the impact entrepreneurs can make and the legacy they can leave, and in particular, the global issue of youth unemployment. One of the sessions will also provide global business leaders and entrepreneurs with the opportunity to tackle topical issues such as business growth the rising urban middle class, youth employment, IPO and strategic transactions; technology’s role in shaping the future; and using digital disruption as a competitive edge.
Keynote addresses will be delivered by speakers including Arif Masood Naqvi, founder and group chief executive of The Abraaj Group; Bill Ford, automotive pioneer and executive chairman of Ford Motor Company; Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder and start-up luminary; Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks; Martin Sorrell, group chief executive of WPP; and last year’s EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Winner, Uday Kotak, founder, executive vice- chairman and MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited.
One of the day itineraries will also include Accelerating Entrepreneurs, where six high-potential entrepreneurs from across the world will present business plans to a panel of “Growth Coaches” during the event in Monaco. Gossy Ukanwoke, founder, BAU Research and Development Nigeria Limited, from Nigeria, is one of the six participants this year.
The four-day event will conclude with the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Gala Award on Saturday, June 06, where the 2015 winner will be unveiled.
The overall winner is chosen by an independent judging panel of distinguished former EY Entrepreneur of the Year winners and other leading entrepreneurs. The award is given on the basis of six criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, global (or community) impact, innovation, and personal integrity/influence.
ODINAKA ANUDU