He will be among 45 country winners, competing for the world title, and will cement his legacy by entering the EY World Entrepreneur Of The YearTM Hall of Fame, joining more than 750 previous finalists of the event since 2001. For the first time ever, the ceremony will be held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. The live stream with CNBC will be available to the public, allowing people the chance to join the event and meet some of the world's best entrepreneurs.
Devenish is a science-based solutions provider to the food and feed industries. Headquartered in Belfast, the company designs and manufactures high quality nutritional products that ensure the most effective and efficient use of nutrients in food production. Supplementing its manufacturing capabilities, Devenish invests in the development of Performance Houses, where trials are conducted to scientifically publishable standards and have led to the development of a range of innovative products in the areas of fatty acids, protein digestion/utilisation, energy, mycotoxin binding and yeasts. Devenish has experienced huge growth in the past 20 years since it was bought by the current majority shareholder Owen Brennan, in 1997. It has gone from £5 million in turnover and 23 employees in 1997, to over £225 million turnover in 2018 and over 750 employees.
Richard Kennedy, Chief Executive of Devenish, said: "I am incredibly proud and also humbled to represent Devenish on the world stage. The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are widely recognised and highly respected throughout the globe and it truly is an honour to be a finalist. This recognition is due to the collective effort of everyone within Devenish to keep striving for excellence and I am always proud to represent that."
Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM programme in Ireland, said: "Each year, EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year recognises the highest calibre of entrepreneurs from around the globe who are unstoppable in the pursuit of excellence and mould breaking across a huge number of industries and sectors. As we move towards a wider reopening of societies across the globe, following COVID-19, the talent and energy of entrepreneurs will be key to reigniting the economy. It is fantastic to see our own homegrown entrepreneurial talent competing on the world stage. Devenish is a company that is flourishing into a major global success story from its Belfast headquarters and across the 50 countries in which it operates. Richard is a wonderful ambassador for the Irish entrepreneurial community, and we're all extremely proud of his achievements to date. On behalf of EY Ireland and the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year community, I'd like to wish Richard the very best of luck in the final leg of the competition."
In addition to Devenish, other companies represented among the 2020 finalists include: Canvest Environmental Protection Group Company Limited (Hong Kong /Macau), Sanlorenzo S.p.A. (Italy), Samsic (France), Franka Emika GmbH (Germany), Carbon, Inc. (USA)
The overall winner will be chosen by an independent judging panel of distinguished former EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM winners and other leading entrepreneurs from around the world. The award is given based on six criteria, giving all country winners an equal opportunity to compete: entrepreneurial spirit; financial performance; strategic direction; global (or community) impact; innovation; and personal integrity/influence.
EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 celebrates the unstoppable entrepreneurs of the world, the boldest entrepreneurs who know you can't create new growth by following the old models. People who look for new solutions, combinations and possibilities.
To find out more about EY World Entrepreneur Of The YearTM and to stream the live ceremony on Thursday at 7pm please visit www.ey.com/weoy. Back to Press Releases