(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) EY honors the most resilient and innovative
entrepreneurs in the country
EY Azerbaijan, Baku, February, 2023 - EY is pleased to announce
the winner of the 'EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM' competition in
2023. It is the fourth time EY has held this prestigious contest
amongst entrepreneurs in partnership with the Small and Medium
Business (SMB) Development Agency of Azerbaijan, KOBIA.
This internationally-acclaimed program has been running thanks
to generous financial support of its two main sponsors –
International bank of Azerbaijan, ABB, and bp. It has also been
Veyseloglu Group of Companies, as well as Export and Investment
Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AZPROMO, and a
Baku-based consultancy firm EKVITA.
The winner has been chosen by an independent judging panel made
up of respected members of the business community, representatives
of the international finance institutions and renowned senior
executives. The judges had a group of 13 entrepreneurial leaders
with an impressive track-record to choose from.
EY and its partners unveiled the overall winner at a special
award ceremony held in Baku on 16 February which was attended by
government officials and the leaders of the business community.
“In the last few years, we've witnessed disruptions on a global
scale due to pandemics and major geopolitical developments. These
have most certainly been incredibly challenging times for
entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan and elsewhere across the world. We've
been holding this contest to pay tribute to these remarkable
individuals who have chosen to pursue their entrepreneurial spirit,
despite all the difficulties. I believe these resilient people will
overcome the ongoing market disruptions and continue to inspire and
grow”, said Ilgar Veliyev, the Managing Partner at EY Azerbaijan.
“EY is proud to honor the participants of the 2023 'EY Entrepreneur
Of The Year' contest who're creating value for the country and the
communities they live in”.
After thorough assessment of contestants' applications and
careful consideration, the judges decided to recognize the winners
in the following categories. Thus, the jury awarded the
'Innovations' nomination to Baba Aghayev from Pickvisa, 'Social
Impact' nomination to Zaur Darabzadeh from CinemaPlus and the
'Regional Development' nomination to Fuad Seyidaliyev from Savalan
ASPI Winery.
Seymur Mammadov, the founder of Simbrella has been announced as
an overall winner of this year's competition – he will represent
Azerbaijan in the 'World Entrepreneur Of The Year' competition
where he'll compete against the world's most innovative and
inspiring businessmen and businesswomen. After the announcement
Seymur said:“Having met all the participants I realized that each
one of them deserves to be a winner in this contest. Making it to
the final along with others was already a huge success for me.
Although I didn't expect the jury to award me with the main prize,
I was thrilled and honored to be recognized as the winner”.
The competition became possible thanks to generous support of
its sponsors. The Chairman of the Executive Board of the
International Bank of Azerbaijan Abbas Ibrahimov said:
“The competition reveals the leading entrepreneurs of the
country, creates a healthy competitive environment and inspires
businesspeople for further success. The objectives of the
competition fully coincide with the corporate values and principles
of social responsibility of ABB. That is why we support it for the
fourth consecutive year”, said Abbas Ibrahimov, Chairman of the
Board of ABB.
Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, Vice President for Communications and
External Affairs in the Caspian Region, said:“We are pleased to
continue supporting the“EY Entrepreneur Of The Year” competition
as it aims to recognize entrepreneurial achievements and growth
efforts of local businesses. This is in line with our own efforts
to help develop local supply chains and entrepreneurship”.
From the outset, EY teamed up with the Small and Medium Business
(SMB) Development Agency of Azerbaijan, KOBIA. Zaur Gardashov, the
advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of KOBİA said:
“Various business award programs and contests among entrepreneurs
contribute to the spirit of healthy competition. That's why KOBIA
is so keen on organizing and supporting such contests. KOBIA has
been a strategic partner of the 'EY Entrepreneur Of The Year'
contest for four consecutive years. We are pleased that the number
of micro - and small entrepreneurs taking part in this contest has
been rising steadily. It's also good to see that the SMBs have been
winners over the previous years. We're really enthused about the
number of female entrepreneurs among the winners. We believe this
will give additional impetus to promoting female entrepreneurship
in our country. We wish the participants of this year's competition
success in their business endeavours”.
Director of EKVITA Ilgar Mehti said:“EKVITA has been a partner
of the“EY Entrepreneur of the Year” Award since the beginning. As
the pioneer local consulting company to go abroad, our company
carries out projects both within our country and abroad. We are
proud to share the vast experience we have acquired with other
local businessmen and support them in getting recognized in these
kinds of international competitions. I intend to express my
profound gratitude towards“EY Azerbaijan” and its management for
providing conditions to fulfill such a great mission”.
About Entrepreneur Of The YearTM
Entrepreneur Of The YearTM, founded by EY in 1986, is one of 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.
