Two Tipperary companies are nominated for prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards

Tipperary will be well represented at this year’s prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards which will take place this Thursday, November 23, in Powerscourt Hotel, county Wicklow.

Declan Wynne of Skanstec in Clonmel and Ger Killian and Ray Nangle of The Lunch Bag in Nenagh are among the 23 finalists shortlisted for this year’s awards

Awards will be presented across three categories - Emerging, Established and International - with one overall winner selected as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland 2023.

An additional sustainability award will be presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business.

Mr Wynne, Managing Director of Skanstec, is a finalist in the emerging category. Skanstec is a leading specialist engineering company that delivers infrastructural projects within the energy and telecommunications sector.

Ray Nangle, CEO and Ger Killian, Managing Director of The Lunch Bag in Nenagh are also finalists in the emerging category.

The Lunch Bag is a healthy school meal delivery service for non-DEIS schools across Ireland. From its inception in 2019, the company has grown to a team of 200, producing meals for over 30,000 children each day and have successfully challenged a generational norm of school lunches across all demographics.

The 23 shortlisted entrepreneurs span a range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, retail, consumer products, and engineering.

Collectively this group of world class business leaders are already generating annual revenues of more than €70om  and employ over 5,000 people.  

Commenting ahead of the awards, Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme said: “This year’s finalists are an incredible group of entrepreneurs who are achieving outstanding success both here in Ireland and across the globe. They represent a wide range of sectors, with sustainability businesses being particularly prominent this year. The finalists have certainly presented a challenge to our independent judging panel who have been tasked with selecting this year’s winners.”

Declan Wynne of Skanstec said: “Being part of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 programme has truly been an honour. Engaging and working with the finalists, the EOY team and the alumni throughout the year has been inspirational.

“The EOY programme has enriched my entrepreneurial spirit and ignited a new level of ambition into my business approach.

“It has been a pivotal growth opportunity both personally and professionally.

“As a finalist, the focus now naturally turns to the awards night, however, the long-term prize is the ongoing journey with the humble and curious alumni network and the meaningful conversations and friendships that will transform our futures and continue to promote an entrepreneurial mindset across the island of Ireland and beyond.”

Ray Nangle and Ger Killian of The Lunch Bag said: “We entered this competition with a preconception of what awards were - but the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year experience has completely exceeded anything we could have imagined.

“While the awards night may be the pinnacle, the journey has been an experience in and of itself. The camaraderie and support from the other finalists, the alumni and the EY team has been the most welcome surprise. We are honoured to have been a part of it.”

Now in its 26th year in Ireland, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Programme has established itself as a world-class development programme that supports, promotes, and connects an extraordinary community of entrepreneurs, championing entrepreneurship throughout the island of Ireland and around the world.