Germain Lamonde of EXFO named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 national winner
Six entrepreneurs from across Canada recognized for mark made on entrepreneurial landscape
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2018 /CNW/ - Germain Lamonde, Founder and Executive Chairman of EXFO (TSX: EXF) — a developer of smarter test, monitoring and analytics solutions for global fixed and mobile network operators, equipment manufacturers and internet companies — is this year's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 national award winner.
"Lamonde has long-term vision," says François Tellier, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year national Program Director. "He was able to identify a need many businesses didn't even know they had, and provide a solution that has transformed the telecommunications industry. He's taken EXFO from an optical fibre startup to a world leader for fiber optic testing and provider of service assurance solutions. Lamonde is bold, daring and disruptive — and that's why we're so proud to recognize his achievements."
Lamonde is inspiring a culture of disruptive innovation in the community as well, by supporting a local university to develop the technological arm of their Science and Engineering program. Contributions such as acquiring new state-of-the-art equipment and creating undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships are all key to encouraging technological entrepreneurship among the next generation.
The national award was presented at a black-tie ceremony in Toronto last night. The event marked the culmination of five regional galas that drew more than 4,500 attendees nationwide. Overall winners from each of the five regions were up against Lamonde for the national title:
- Pacific: Christian Chia of OpenRoad Auto Group Ltd.
- Prairies: Linda McCurdy of K-Bro Linen Systems Inc. (TSX:KBL)
- Ontario: Stuart Lombard of ecobee Inc.
- Atlantic: Rob Steele of Steele Auto Group
Lamonde also shared the stage with six other entrepreneurs who received EY Entrepreneur Of The Year national special citations for the unique mark they've made on the entrepreneurial landscape and the diverse way they embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.
- Customer Driven Excellence: John Hunter of Hunter Amenities International Ltd.
- Entrepreneurial Leadership: Shahrzad Rafati of BroadbandTV
- Growth: Todd Van Vliet of Frac Shack Inc.
- Innovative Design and Manufacturing: Steven Kay of ORB™
- Innovative Global Strategies: Robert Beamish, Robert Magee, Charles Daly and Terence Campbell of Woodbridge Foam Corp.
- Strategic Leadership: Brigitte Jalbert of Les Emballages Carrousel Inc.
The gala also honoured five Canadian women who were recognized in the Americas EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women class of 2018. These women have been welcomed into the program, which acts as an accelerator to help successful women entrepreneurs gain knowhow, mentorship and resources to grow their business, access capital, and develop the networks necessary to become a formidable force in their industries.
Next up, Lamonde will compete with more than 50 other country winners for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 5-9 June 2019.
More information
Follow @EYCanada and #EOYCanada on Twitter for the latest event updates.
Visit ey.com/ca/EOY for more program details and a complete list of category finalists and gala dates in other regions.
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® is 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 50 countries. ey.com/ca/EOY
The 2018 national independent judging panel consists of Murad Al-Katib, President and CEO, AGT Food and Ingredients; Robyn Eddy, President, Eddy Group Ltd.; Steve King, President and CEO, Alaris Royalty Corp.; Ali Pejman, Partner, Fort Capital Partners; Andrew Richardson, President, Targray; Lisa Shields, Founder and CEO, FI.SPAN Services Inc.; and Gerald Slemko, CEO, Trudell Medical Group.
This year's program national sponsors are ICI RDI, The TMX Group, The Globe and Mail Inc., Merrill Corporation, Kira Talent, Air Canada, The Printing House Ltd. and Media One Creative.
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.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.
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.
SOURCE EY (Ernst & Young)
Sasha Anopina, [email protected], +1 416 943 2637; Victoria McQueen, [email protected], +1 416 943 3141; Camille Larivière, [email protected], +1 514 879 8021
Share this article