NEW ORLEANS – Ernst & Young LLP announced that co-founders Paul Ballard, Steven Ballard and Scott Ballard of Ballard Brands were named Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Gulf Coast Area Award finalists. Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur of the Year program honors entrepreneurial business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain successful businesses that transform our world.
Award winners will be announced through a special virtual event on Oct. 6 and will join a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur of the Year alumni from around the world. This year, unstoppable entrepreneurs who have provided extraordinary support for their communities, employees and others during the COVID-19 crisis will also be recognized for their courage, resilience and ingenuity.
Entrepreneur of the Year is an awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.
“We established Ballard Brands in 2001 and worked hard to build a company that makes us and our team proud,” says Paul Ballard. “It’s an honor to be named a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year.”
“Entrepreneurs are at the heart of a multitude of industries in the U.S. and beyond. For more than 30 years, Entrepreneur of the Year has recognized game-changing business leaders and we are pleased to be recognized as a finalist by a program with this legacy,” says Steven Ballard.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur of the Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in June 2021.
Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.
