EY’s Search Is On for Orange County’s 2014 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs

IRVINE, Calif. - Jan. 9, 2014 - PRLog -- EY is calling for nominations in Orange County for the 28^th Annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) Awards (http://www.ey.com/US/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year), recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. Nominations deadline is March 14, 2014; winners will be announced at the Orange County awards ceremony June 4 at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point.

Each year, EY showcases successful entrepreneurs from more than 150 cities in 60 countries. In 2013, more than 70 business leaders from Orange County were nominated for the program, with six ultimately selected as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners. The 2013 winners in Orange County included: Jerry Paolone of MagnaFlow Exhaust Products; Alan Fuerstman, Montage Hotels & Resorts; Hezy Shaked, Tilly's, Inc.; Heidi Golledge, CyberCoders & CareerBliss; Joseph Renton, Systems & Software Enterprises; and Anand Nallathambi, CoreLogic, Inc.

“At EY, it’s through our Entrepreneur Of The Year Program that we have had the privilege of getting to know many high-impact entrepreneurs,” said Kim Letch, Partner and Entrepreneur Of The Year Director in Orange County. “The entrepreneurs we have honored are particularly significant, as they are creating disruptive companies and causing a positive ripple effect in our communities, our capital markets and our economy.”

Award winners are selected in various industry categories by a panel of independent judges that include previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other community luminaries.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June. All regional winners will then compete for national Entrepreneur Of The Year, hosted by Jay Leno, on Nov. 15, 2014 in Palm Springs, CA. The national awards gala is the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the EY Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/sgf. The US Overall National winner will go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in Monaco in June 2015.

Awards criteria

To qualify, entrepreneurs must be the founder or an executive who organizes, manages and assumes the risk of a business early in its life cycle or during its growth. Self-nominations are encouraged and open to the public, and there is no fee to enter. The firm deadline for 2014 nominations is March 14.

Complete nomination information is available at www.ey.com/us/eoy/oc.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is nationally sponsored by SAP Americas and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In Orange County, local sponsors include: Union Bank, Marsh Insurance, Stradling Attorneys at Law, Scherzer International, Smart Business magazine and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

Contact information

Kathy Beckman, Program Manager, Ernst & Young, 949-437-0236, Kathy.Beckman@ey.com.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award 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 award 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 150 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets practice

EY’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. EY is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets (http://www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets), or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth (https://twitter.com/EY_Growth).

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 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.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.For more information, please visit ey.com (http://www.ey.com).