Ernst & Young LLP Kicks-off 2013 Search for Orange County’s Most Innovative Entrepreneurs

Jan. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- Ernst & Young LLP is calling for nominations for the 27th annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards, recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. The deadline for applications is March 8, 2013, with the Orange County awards ceremony scheduled for June 6, 2013, at The St. Regis Resort in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Entrepreneurs eligible for consideration include not only company founders but also leaders of multi-generation family businesses and transformational public and private company CEOs. There is no fee to submit a nomination; self nominations are acceptable. Online applications can be accessed at: https://eoy-nomination.ey.com

In 2012, an unprecedented three Orange County entrepreneurs were selected as National Entrepreneur of the Year Award winners from the five business owners from Orange County selected as regional Award winners.

“This is the first time three winners came from any single Entrepreneur of the Year region since the national program's inception in 1989, We are proud of this milestone that illustrates the strong entrepreneurial spirit in Orange County, " said Kim Letch, Ernst & Young partner and the region’s Entrepreneur of the Year Program Director. National winners included:

·          Michael Morhaime, cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine, technology category

·          Joe Kiani, founder of Masimo Corporation in Irvine, life sciences category

·          Gary Jabara, founder of Mobilitie in Newport Beach, real estate, construction and lodging category

Last year, more than 600 entrepreneurs from across the nation were selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award finalists from more than 1,700 nominations. Research compiled from these companies, which together employ nearly 700,000 workers, affirms that, nationally, these innovative, expansion-oriented entrepreneurs continue to grow impressively. Between 2009 and 2011, they achieved 30 percent job growth and 48 percent revenue growth.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June. All regional honorees will be invited to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year awards gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on Nov. 16, 2013, in Palm Springs, Calif. The National awards gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.  The overall national U.S. winner will compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in Monaco in June 2014.

For information on Entrepreneur Of The Year Orange County please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy/oc.

Sponsors

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

In Orange County, local sponsors include: Union Bank, Marsh Insurance, Stradling, Scherzer investigations, Smart Business Magazine and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

Contact information

For more information and nomination forms, contact Kathy Beckman, Program Manager, Ernst & Young, 949-437-0236, Kathy.Beckman@ey.com.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young 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 140 cities in 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of 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 www.ey.com (http://www.ey.com/).

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a client-serving member firm of Ernst Young Global Limited operating in the US.