Pacific entrepreneurs are pushing forward with growth by putting uncertainty on the sideline

Finalists announced for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2021 Pacific program

VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Each year, EY recognizes unstoppable entrepreneurs across the country that are transforming our world through unbounded innovation, growth and prosperity. Today, judges named 22 businesses as finalists in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2021 Pacific program.  

"Despite the ongoing shutdowns across BC — and the rest of the world — causing knock-on disruption to operations and supply chains, these companies have managed to push challenges to the sideline and respond with resilience and agility," says Lui Petrollini, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Program Director. "It's been incredible to see so many entrepreneurs not only meet the bar for growth — but rise above it while supporting their local and national communities along the way."

Consistent with the findings from the EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer, new vulnerabilities and unforeseen challenges brought on by the pandemic do not appear to be slowing these entrepreneurs down. Pacific finalists are a true representation of how dynamic the market is — with some players emerging in new industries, others evolving mature industries and some diversifying current business models to withstand tough market pressures.

"It's no surprise the technology industry has a good showing in this year's group of finalists, as many of these companies were in an optimal position to pivot and accommodate new demands," says Petrollini. "On the other hand, the consumer products and retail industry is also quite present, demonstrating that despite the roadblocks we've seen in the last year, BC entrepreneurs are navigating with speed and precision."  

View the full list of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Pacific finalists

What's next?

The independent panel of judges will select regional winners who will be announced in July. The winners will move forward to compete with winners from the Prairies, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic regions at the national awards celebration in November 2021, where 10 national winners will be named, including Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Award winner. The overall Canadian winner will go on to compete with national winners from across the globe for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in June 2022.

More information

Follow @EYCanada, #EOYCanada and #EOYPacific on Twitter for the latest program updates. Visit www.ey.com/ca/eoy for more program details.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^®

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/eoy

The 2021 Pacific independent judging panel consists of Ali Pejman, Managing Partner of Fort Capital Partners; Kristi Miller, Managing Partner of Natural Products Canada (NPC) Ventures; Geoff Chutter, CEO of WhiteWater West Industries; Maria Pacella, Managing Partner of Penderfund Capital Management; Sacha McLean, Vice Chairman of The McLean Group; Jill Earthy, CEO of Women's Enterprise Centre BC; and Keith Spencer, Counsel at Fasken Martineau.

This year's national sponsor is TSX Inc. The Pacific regional sponsors are Canadian Western Bank and Hunt Personnel.

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP.

SOURCE EY Canada

Victoria McQueen, [email protected], 416 943 3141; Chiara Battaglia, [email protected], 514 833 3337; Dina Elshurafa, [email protected], 416 941 1818