The CREAM of European Business

 

60 finalists of The European Business Awards have been selected and are ready to showcase the commercial strength and entrepreneurial spirit of Europe

60 outstanding companies from 13 European Union member countries have been announced as finalists in the inaugural European Business Awards (1). From hundreds of paper-based entries, the first-round judges short listed ten finalists in each of the six competitive categories (2). Winners will be announced at a glittering ‘by invitation only’ event on 31 st January 2007 at the Conrad in Brussels.

Finalists will now prepare to make their presentations in person before a further panel of expert judges, including senior executives, strategic advisory panelists (3), academics and business specialists, throughout November and December 2006.

Group director Mike Faulkner says: “We are amazed by the level of the finalists and their appetite for European-wide recognition. Their innovative thinking, the quality of their products and services and their entrepreneurial spirit undeniably prove that European business plays a first class role in the global market.”

The eight categories at the centre of the competition are:

• The CMS Business of the Year Award
• The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• The Siemens Business Innovation of the Year Award
• The Grey EMEA Growth Strategy of the Year Award
• The Société Générale Award for Customer Focus
• The AXA Award for Corporate Sustainability
• The Lifetime Achievement Award
• The Business Leader of the Year Award

The latter two are by nomination only and the winners will be announced on 31 st January 2007 at the Conrad in Brussels.

Faulkner adds: “A special thanks must go to our sponsors, for their commitment and support in recognising excellence in European business.” Sponsors include: CMS, AXA, Grey EMEA, Siemens and Société Générale.

Finalists will now prepare to make their presentations in person before a further panel of expert judges, including senior executives, strategic advisory panelists (3), academics and business specialists, throughout November and December 2006.

 

Group director Mike Faulkner says: “We are amazed by the level of the finalists and their appetite for European-wide recognition. Their innovative thinking, the quality of their products and services and their entrepreneurial spirit undeniably prove that European business plays a first class role in the global market.”

 

The eight categories at the centre of the competition are:

• The CMS Business of the Year Award
• The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• The Siemens Business Innovation of the Year Award
• The Grey EMEA Growth Strategy of the Year Award
• The Société Générale Award for Customer Focus
• The AXA Award for Corporate Sustainability
• The Lifetime Achievement Award
• The Business Leader of the Year Award

The latter two are by nomination only and the winners will be announced on 31 st January 2007 at the Conrad in Brussels.

 

Faulkner adds: “A special thanks must go to our sponsors, for their commitment and support in recognising excellence in European business.” Sponsors include: CMS, AXA, Grey EMEA, Siemens and Société Générale.

 

The European Business Awards relies also on the support of the official media partner The Wall Street Journal Europe and associate sponsors: Continental Airlines, BT, RSM International and Flanders Investment and Trade.

 

For further information please contact:

The European Business Awards

PR Manager Giorgio Pirazzini on telephone +33 (0) 148 045 155

or at giorgio.pirazzini@key20media.com

www.businessawardseurope.com

 

NOTES TO EDITOR

1.

Organisation Quest Media is a UK based business communication company responsible for the UK National Business Awards, the leading business success recognition event in the UK, described by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as the “UK’s Business Oscars”.

 

2. Finalists are:

The AXA Award for Corporate Sustainability: ABN AMRO (The Netherlands); Akzo Nobel NV (The Netherlands); Conergy AG (Germany); Diageo Ireland (Ireland); Henkel KGaA (Germany); HP Corporation EMEA (Germany); Kingfisher Plc ( United Kingdom ); Shepherd Neame ( United Kingdom ); SODEXHO ALLIANCE (France); Volvo Car Corporation (Sweden)

 

The CMS Business of the Year Award: AEGON N.V. (The Netherlands); ALUMIL MILONAS S.A. (Greece); ARM Holdings (UK); AS Baltika (Estonia); Banca Intesa S.p.A. (Italy); Commerzbank AG (Germany); Elcoteq SE (Finland); NedRailways BV (The Netherlands); New Wave Group AB (Sweden); ResMed (France)

 

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award: George Milonas, ALUMIL MILONAS S.A (Greece) Hans-Martin Rueter, Conergy AG (Germany); Pieter Zwart, Coolblue BV (The Netherlands); Martin Holecko, ET NETERA (Czech Republic) ;Helen Elizabeth Colley, Farmhouse Fare ( United Kingdom ); Janet Kelly, Free Features Ltd ( United Kingdom ); Kristin Syltevik, Hotwire ( United Kingdom ); Andrew Ainge, MetalFX® Technology Limited ( United Kingdom ); Torsten Jannsson, New Wave Group (Sweden); Karl-Heinz Land, VoiceObjects AG (Germany)

 

The Grey EMEA Growth Strategy of the Year Award: AS Baltika (Estonia); Bigmouthmedia ( United Kingdom ); EDF Energy ( United Kingdom ); Elcoteq SE (Finland); ET NETERA (Czech Republic); innocent drinks (UK); Loyalty Partner GmbH (Germany); New Wave Group AB (Sweden); O2 (Germany); Q-Cells AG (Germany)

 

The Siemens Business Innovation of the Year Award : Airbus S.A.S. (France); Akzo Nobel NV (The Netherlands); Atlas Copco Surface Drilling Equipment (Sweden); BP plc ( United Kingdom ); CoreMedia AG (Germany); DaimlerChrysler AG (Germany); DeLaval International AB (Sweden); Honeywell-CentraLine (The Netherlands); innocent drinks ( United Kingdom ); HP Corporation EMEA (Germany)

 

The Société Générale Award for Customer Focus: Amadeus (Spain); Avis Europe Plc ( United Kingdom ); Banca Intesa S.p.A (Italy); NS Netherlands Railways (The Netherlands) Overbury ( United Kingdom ); The Rezidor Hotel Group (Belgium); Regus ( United Kingdom ); T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH (Germany); TNT Express. (The Netherlands); UniCredit Banca S.p.A. ( Italy)

 

3. Strategic Advisory Panel

 

The Strategic Advisory Panel is composed of senior business, government and academic leaders and contributes to the long-term vision of The European Business Awards. The involvement of such distinguished people ensures access to collective business knowledge and winsdom that enhances the value of the Awards and facilitate the sharing of its findings to an even wider audience –for the benefits of businesses everywhere.

 

Wim Kok , Former Dutch Prime Minister and former Minister of Finance; Jon Housman, Managing Director, The Wall Street Journal Europe, co-Founder and chief executive officer of Jungle Media Group; Ulrich Steger, Professor, Alcan Chair of Environmental Management at IMD, former Minister of Economics and Technology in the State of Hesse; Lykke Friis, Prorector, University of Copenhagen, former Director of European Affairs at the Confederation of Danish Industry; Niels Bjørn-Andersen, Professor, holds Chair of Information Services and Director of Enterprise Management at Copenhagen Business School, former President of the Global Association for Information Systems; David Midgley, Professor, Coordinator of Marketing Area at INSEAD, member of editorial board of the International Journal of Marketing; José Luis Rodríguez, President of Nueva Economía Fórum and Director of the Circle of Trust and the Europe Forum, Member of the Council of Radio Televisión Española; Ged Davis, Managing Director, World Economic Forum, formerly Head of Planning, Europe for Royal Dutch Shell; Jean-Paul Votron, CEO, Fortis. Former CEO for Citigroup’s retail bank in EMEA; Etienne Davignon (Viscount), Vice-Chairman of Suez-Tractebel, former Chairman of Société Générale de Belgique; Claire Dorland-Clauzel, Senior Executive Vice-President Communications, Brand and Sustainable Development for the AXA Group.