Ernst & Young recognizes local game-changing entrepreneurs' leadership and innovation
TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - John A. McCluskey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alamos Gold Inc. — a leading Canadian gold producer — is this year's Ontario Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®.
"Leading entrepreneurs possess an unparalleled drive and determination in the face of extreme adversity — and John is no exception," says Colleen McMorrow, National and Ontario Director of Entrepreneur Of The Year. "John risked everything when founding Alamos Gold Inc. at the bottom of a 20-year gold bear market and amid significant macroeconomic issues. But the risk paid off."
John's forward-thinking vision and eye for opportunity has grown Alamos Gold Inc. from a junior mining company with no employees to a leading gold producer with over 550 employees and operations in Canada, Turkey and Mexico.
"Innovation is at the heart of every game-changing entrepreneur's success," says McMorrow. "It's a way of being — and one that made John's vision of prosperity in the gold mining industry a reality."
Innovation doesn't happen randomly. Ernst & Young's recent report Innovating for growth finds that leading innovators take advantage of changes in their external environment, continually revamp their business models and innovate with an end goal in mind. More than anything, it takes a long-term view.
"Our Entrepreneur Of The Year winners exemplify the power of taking a long-term view," says McMorrow. "By focusing on a long-term vision and being prepared to seize opportunities along the way, these entrepreneurs have made great strides for Canadian business."
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. The Canadian program is in its 19th year of honouring the country's most impressive entrepreneurs from all areas of business. Award winners are chosen based on a number of factors, including their vision, leadership, financial performance and social responsibility.
Also honoured by Ernst & Young was Joseph L. Rotman, Chairman and CEO of Roy-L Capital Corporation, who received the 2012 Ontario Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his outstanding leadership, support of Ontario's business community and his significant accomplishments as an entrepreneur.
For more information on Innovating for growth, click here.
Category winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Ontario Awards:
Business-to-business products and services
Jennifer Nashmi and Victoria Sopik
Kids + Company Ltd. | Thornhill
kidsandcompany.ca
Works directly with family-oriented corporations to develop progressive childcare and eldercare options that help address employee work-life balance and productivity.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Gordon Lownds
ListenUP! Canada | Toronto
listenupcanada.com
Provides a full range of hearing healthcare services to the public through 105 clinic locations in Ontario.
Cleantech
Steven Bloembergen and John van Leeuwen
EcoSynthetix Inc. | Burlington
ecosynthetix.com
Global supplier of novel bio-based products to displace petroleum-based materials in the binder, coating and adhesive markets.
Emerging entrepreneur
Somen Mondal and Shaun Ricci
N4 Systems, Inc. | Toronto
fieldid.com
Field ID is the world's leading paperless safety compliance and inspection management system.
Information technology
Robert Herjavec
The Herjavec Group | Toronto
herjavecgroup.com
IT security/infrastructure integration firm specializing in security solutions, WAN acceleration and emerging technologies.
Media and entertainment
Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen
Wattpad | Toronto
wattpad.com
World's largest community for discovering and sharing stories. Use Wattpad to read great stories and share creative writing on the web and across all mobile devices.
Mining and metals
John A. McCluskey
Alamos Gold Inc. | Toronto
alamosgold.com
Gold producer with operating mine in Mexico and development projects in Turkey.
Services
Jon Hantho
Maxxam Analytics | Mississauga
maxxam.ca
Canadian market leader in analytical services and solutions to the energy, environmental, food and DNA industries.
Young entrepreneur
Jon Lerner and Derek Ting
Enflick Inc. | Waterloo
enflick.com
Creator of highly acclaimed mobile applications on iOS, Android and BlackBerry platforms: Touch and TextNow.
Special citation — Social entrepreneur
Social entrepreneur is a unique category that awards a special citation to an entrepreneur whose achievements have driven large-scale social change and improved people's lives or quality of life.
Johann Olav Koss
Right To Play International | Toronto
righttoplay.com
Global organization whose mission is to improve the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace.
What's next?
As Ontario's 2012 Entrepreneur Of The Year, John will join Pacific regional winner, Ashley Cooper, Paladin Security, and the other overall award winners from the Prairies, Quebec and Atlantic regions, who will be announced later this month, for the national honour of Canada's Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012, to be presented at a gala celebration January 16, 2013, in Toronto. In June 2013, Canada's Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 will move to the world stage to compete with 50 country recipients for the title of Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year®.
About Entrepreneur of The Year
Entrepreneur Of The Year honours the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. Nominees are reviewed by an independent judging panel composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. The 2012 Ontario judging panel consisted of John Albright, Founder and Managing Partner, Relay Ventures; Andrew Bergstrom, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Cossette Communications; Andrew Claerhout, Vice President, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan; Ginny Dybenko, Executive Director, University of Waterloo, Stratford Campus; Don Morrison, Senior Managing Director and Country Head, OMERS Private Equity; David Shaw, 2010 Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year Professional Services category winner and national Special Citation award winner for Customer Driven Excellence, Founder and CEO, Knightsbridge Human Capital Management; Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, MaRS Discovery District; and Claude Haw, Managing Partner, Venture Coaches.
For more information on the program, FAQs, and key dates, please visit ey.com/ca/EOY.
For ticket information about the National Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards Gala on January 16, 2013, please contact Katelyn Jarosz at 416 941 1810 or [email protected].
Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada: #EOYCanada, #EOYOntario.
This year's national program sponsors are National Post, La Presse and RDI.
About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Services Practice
Ernst & Young LLP's Entrepreneurial Services Practice guides Canadian entrepreneurs by delivering integrated services tailored to their goals and needs at every stage of the business lifecycle. We are the world's leader in advising, guiding and recognizing the entrepreneurs who propel the economy - and community - forward.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca/Entrepreneurs.
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.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca.
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.
SOURCE: Ernst & Young
Erika Bennett
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Sarah Shields
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Julie Fournier
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