WEST Belfast businessman Dougie Adams is among 23 finalists shortlisted for the 26th Annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards which will take place on Thursday in Powerscourt Hotel, Co Wicklow.
Dr Andrew Woods of CATAGEN in Belfast are also among the finalists.
The awards will be presented across three categories – Emerging, Established and International – with one overall winner selected as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland 2023. An additional sustainability award will be presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business.
Dougie Adams, founder and CEO of Connected Health Group, is one of the finalists who has been shortlisted in the established category while Dr Andrew Woods, co-founder of CATAGEN, is shortlisted as a finalist in the international category of the prestigious business awards.
The 23 shortlisted entrepreneurs span a range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, retail, consumer products, and engineering. Collectively this group are already generating annual revenues of more than £610 million and employ over 5,000 people.
Commenting ahead of the awards, Rob Heron, Managing Partner EY Northern Ireland said: “The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards night is drawing ever closer and the wait for our finalists is almost over. Among the 23 finalists shortlisted for this year’s awards are two incredible entrepreneurs from Northern Ireland – Andrew Woods of CATAGEN and Douglas Adams of Connected Health.
Dr Andrew Woods, co-founder of CATAGEN with Jeremy Fitch Executive Director Invest NI, Eimear McCrann, Director EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland programme, Rob Heron, Managing Partner EY Northern Ireland during the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ CEO Retreat which took place in Singapore in May
"They along with their fellow finalists are achieving outstanding success both at home and on the international stage. Our independent judging panel, who have been tasked with selecting this year’s winners have certainly been presented a significant challenge. I would like to wish all of the finalists the very best for the awards.”
Mr Adams said: “My experience of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme has been exceptional. I came into the process blind and not knowing what to expect. The whole experience has been exceptional, the interactions with the EY Team, the content and the learnings have been informative, fun, enjoyable and beyond what I could ever access myself. However, it has been the introduction to the 2023 finalists and the impressive people who make up the EOY Alumni that have made this an opportunity of a lifetime. Long may it run.”
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards will be broadcast live on YouTube from 5.30pm on Thursday 23 November and will also be broadcast later that evening on RTÉ One television.
