Through to the finals: Bernadette Wijnings (co-CEO Blanco) a step closer to EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021
Earlier this year, Bernadette Wijnings (co-CEO Blanco) was listed as a nominee for the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021. An expert jury assessed the nominees on 8 September and Bernadette is one of five emerging entrepreneurs chosen to advance to the finals in October.
EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year program has celebrated worldwide entrepreneurship for 25 years now. It puts innovative entrepreneurship on a pedestal and encourages entrepreneurs to get the best out of themselves, their clients and their employees.
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award has two categories: Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) and Emerging. The EOY category is for market leaders, established entrepreneurs who have really made a difference and are still at the helm. The Emerging category is for entrepreneurs with companies under ten years-old, whose founders promise to become top entrepreneurs.
Through to the finals
An expert jury assessed the nominees on 8 September. This year the jury consisted of Charlie MacGregor, Janneke Niessen, Heleen van Oord, Claudia Willemsen, Rishi Kartaram, Frans Jonker and Michael Maasdam.
Candidates are judged on matters such as personal integrity, vision, passion, entrepreneurship, strategic direction, innovation, value creation and financial performance. The judges also consider softer values such as corporate responsibility, sustainable growth and contribution to society.
Competition was fierce and diverse as each of the nominees delivered passionate pitches about their visions and values. Despite this, Bernadette has made it to the finals. Bernadette is one of five entrepreneurs chosen to advance to the finals in October. Her co-finalists include Anupam Nayak, Loes Daniels, Milan Daniels and Ohad Maiman.
