Making the Decision: Entrepreneur of the Year 2009

BCBusiness

| October 8, 2009

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Anyone can nominate a person for Entrepreneur of the Year, as long as the candidate is primarily responsible for the performance of a company that is at least two years old. A brochure describing the criteria and a nomination package are available at eoy.ca.

Nomination forms are initially vetted by staff at the Ernst & Young LLP Pacific Region office to ensure paperwork is complete. Then Ernst & Young conducts on-site interviews with all eligible nominees to gather information beyond the numbers. In three-hour interviews, candidates are grilled about everything from personal philosophy to their company’s financial performance.

The interview results are boiled down in summaries forwarded, along with the nomination forms, to the judges who review the applications privately before meeting as a team to compare notes. Finally, the judges reduce the file to three finalists in each category before deciding on a single winner.

What Do the Judges Look For?

Entrepreneurial spirit and corporate culture

The nominee demonstrates perseverance in the face of adversity and overcoming obstacles, learns from experience, fosters teamwork and builds loyalty.

Innovation

What new approaches of technologies have been implemented? What investment has been made in R&D? How well does the nominee adapt to change and develop products and services ahead of the market?

Personal integrity and influence

The nominee has earned respect from staff, competitors and advisers; is a strong communicator; influences others; and demonstrates involvement in the wider community.

Strategic direction, market position and industry impact

The nominee has made a noticeable impact in terms of job creation and leadership in the marketplace and is a regional, national or global player.

Financial performance

How strong is the organization’s financial performance today? What is the nominee’s track record in raising financing?

2008 EOY Pacific Region Judges

Bev Briscoe, president, Briscoe Management Ltd.

Bob Gayton, director, Western Copper Corp.

Tracey McVicar, managing partner, CAI Capital Management Co.

Jim Moore, president and CEO, Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc.

Grant Weaver, partner, Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP

Art Aylesworth, president, Osprey Management Ltd.

Jim Case, president and CEO, ScotiaDealer Advantage Inc.

Tags

I'm not surprised to see

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2009-11-02 19:21.

I'm not surprised to see only one woman in the 2009 winners circle for the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards presentation. I'm not surprised that the majority of the winners are caucasian males. So, you guessed it, I'm also not surprised that five out of the seven judges were males, likely caucasian males. What allows Caucasian males to excel in business far more than females or business people who are not Caucasian? Maybe this topic would be a good cover story in an upcoming issue of BC Business magazine- is this awards presentation truly representative of our best entrepreneurs?-is the editor and (his/her) staff writers up to the challenge to define excellence in business (profit margin, innovative products/services, social responsibility and strategic vision) within parameters that the majority of business people in BC aspire to use as their own benchmark of success? Surprise me.

I am surprised to see only

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2009-10-15 21:27.

I am surprised to see only one women in the winners circle for the 2009 EY Entrepreneur of the year, there are so many accomplished and inspiring women enterpreneurs in BC.