Question: What do the following world-renowned entrepreneurs have in common?

Guy Laliberté the founder of Cirque de Soleil

Hamdi Ulukaya, who created Chobani Greek Yogurt in 2007 which became the best-selling brand US in four years and

Olivia Lum who founded Hyflux in 1989 with a start-up capital of US$15,000 but today one of the world's leading desalination suppliers?

Answer: They have all won EY’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year (EoY) Award.

Now a Maltese entrepreneur or business will have a chance to join them. EY Malta will be launching its first Entrepreneur of the Year programme on the 9 January, 2017. The competition will be open to entrepreneurs from all sectors, with entries open until February 20th. The winner will then compete in EY’s World Entrepreneur of The Year award competition held in Monaco.

EY’s EoY initiative is recognised as one of the most prestigious business award programmes for entrepreneurs. It has evolved over the past 30 years into a ten-month development programme connecting the best entrepreneurs across 60 countries. It is now also finding a home in Malta.

To be eligible nominees must either be Maltese or have been operating a company based in Malta for at least two years. Anyone, including employees, company advisors and financiers can nominate an entrepreneur, with the latter’s consent. Many of our nominations come from the entrepreneurs themselves. Page 2

The independent EoY Malta judging panel will be looking for evidence of eight specific entrepreneurial traits:

 Entrepreneurial spirit and vision

 Financial performance

 Innovation

 Strategic direction

 Sustainability and growth in employee numbers

 Industry impact

 Community impact and personal integrity

 Risk management

The finalists will be announced in March, and will join a group of over 120 entrepreneurs in Monaco in June for the World Entrepreneur of the Year award, making this one of the most important global networking events. Last year, the world event was attended by Bill Ford, the executive Charmain of the Ford Motor Company, Muhtar Kent, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company and Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, Obvious, Medium, and Jelly amongst others.

Ronald Attard, EY Malta Managing Partner, comments: “We are very excited about this initiative. It brings to Malta an EY awards legacy spanning back three decades, a legacy which, year in year out, has picked entrepreneurs who left their mark on the world. It is truly rewarding for us to be giving, every year, a Maltese entrepreneur or business the chance to compete with the world’s best and giving him or her a shot at the title.”