EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS NAMED AFTER OVER 160,000 VOTES IN PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION

34 firms have been named ‘National Public Champion’ for their country in the European Business Awards sponsored by RSM after the ‘public vote’ stage of the competition generated a new record of over 160,000 votes from across the world.

People globally watched videos of all the competitors at www.businessawardseurope.com and voted between 9 January and 1 March this year. With 34 European countries represented in the competition, the winning companies won after receiving the most votes in their country.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: “These companies have showcased their success to a worldwide audience, engaged the support of many, and won the public vote! It is a fantastic achievement, well done all our National Public Champions.”

The European Business Awards was set up to celebrate and promote business success and support the development of a stronger business community throughout Europe. Lead sponsor RSM, a provider of audit, tax and consulting services to middle market businesses globally, has supported the European Business Awards since its inception.

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, with a presence in 42 European countries said: “The National Public Champions should be very proud. The ‘public vote’ stage is one of great significance as it gives entrants the opportunity to inspire and captivate people with their success stories. The casting of over 160,000 votes is further proof that enthusiasm for European business is widespread, not least because of the examples being set by the National Public Champions. On behalf of RSM, I wish each of them the best of luck in the final round.”

The 34 companies will now go head-to-head in a second public vote that opens 6 March and runs until 27 April. The company with the most votes will be announced as the ‘European Public Champion’ at the Awards Gala Final on 4 May in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

For more information on the Awards, winners by country and the public vote please visit www.businessawardseurope.com and follow us on twitter at @rsmEBA and Facebook @businessawardseurope

ENDS

For further press information or for case studies/interviews, please contact:

EBA: Vanessa Wood at the European Business Awards on +44 (0) 796 6666 657 or email vanessa.wood@businessawardseurope.com

RSM: Gillian Hawkes at the RSM Executive Office - gillian.hawkes@rsm.global

About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards’ primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

• It celebrates and endorses individuals’ and organisations’ success

• It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

• It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 10th year. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year’s public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE and PR Newswire. www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 793 offices and more than 41,200 people internationally. The network’s total fee income is US$4.8 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. www.rsm.global

About ELITE:

ELITE is a full-service programme designed to share best practice and increase growth opportunities for fast growing companies, with a focus on understanding the capital markets. ELITE is an innovative programme based on exclusive training and a tutorship model, supported by access to the business and financial community. Its aim is to prepare companies for their next stage of growth and investment.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to: www.elite-growth.com

About PR Newswire:

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client’s content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists.

PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information on PR Newswire please visit www.prnewswire.co.uk