Ernst & Young names Mac Van Wielingen of ARC Financial Corp. the 2011 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year
(Calgary, 19 October 2011) Mac Van Wielingen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ARC Financial Corp. — a leading private equity investment management company focused on Canada’s energy sector — is this year’s Prairies Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® winner.
“Entrepreneurs understand better than anyone else that good ideas are too valuable to waste, and Mac is no exception,” says Luana Comin-Sartor, Prairies Director of Entrepreneur Of The Year. “His unparalleled drive to create long term value for ARC Financial through calculated risk management and dedication to people excellence is what has taken his good idea from modest beginnings to new heights of market leadership.”
Mac realized early on that it takes more than ideas alone to get a business off the ground; an engaged and motivated team is key. Today, Mac continues to commit himself to developing innovative processes and practices that ensure his top talent maintain and share his vision for the future of ARC Financial.
“Innovation isn’t just about developing new products and services, it’s about pushing ourselves to be better,” says Comin-Sartor. “And it’s exactly this careful balance of great ideas with great people that makes Mac a standout.”
Leading entrepreneurs surround themselves with the right people — who not only have the technical andbusiness skills to take the company forward, but also share their leader’s values. That kind of forward-looking approach can be critical to an entrepreneur’s success. In fact, Nature or nurture? Decoding the DNA of the entrepreneur, Ernst & Young’s global survey of leading entrepreneurs, found 76% of those polled cited vision as the top quality necessary to achieve success.
Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. The Canadian program is in its 18th year of honouring the country’s most impressive entrepreneurs from all areas of business. Award winners are chosen based on a number of factors, including their vision, leadership, financial performance and social responsibility.
Category winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 Prairies Awards:
Business-to-business products and services
John Binder │Calgary
Avmax Group Inc.
World leader in a full spectrum of aviation support services and resources.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Gordon Reykdal │ Edmonton
Cash Store Financial
Top provider of alternative financial products and services, with 580 branches under the Cash Store and Instaloans brands. It offers a range of financial services, including bank accounts. Cash Store Financial trades on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
Cleantech and environmental services
Audrey Mascarenhas │ Calgary
Questor Technology Inc.
International environmental clean-air technology oilfield-service company specializing in providing sustainable custom incineration solutions to eliminate flared gas and utilize waste energy.
Construction
Thomas Fath │ Edmonton
The Fath Group
Provides a wide range of services, including paving, milling, road reclamation, material sales, equipment rentals, camp services, industrial catering, street sweeping and snow removal.
Emerging entrepreneur
Jennifer Carlson Broe │Calgary
Baby Gourmet Foods Inc.
Organic baby food company that makes the very best-tasting organic baby food on the market.
Energy development and production
Glen Schmidt │ Calgary
Laricina Energy Ltd.
Privately held, Calgary-based responsible energy company that will contribute supply to the growing demand for crude oil through in situ oilsands development.
Energy services
Scott Douglas, John Forgeron, Phil Ness │ Calgary
Compass Compression Services Ltd.
Privately owned company specializing in engineering, design, packaging and servicing of reciprocating, rotary screw and rotary vane compression systems and equipment.
Hospitality/tourism
Tom Donaldson │ Calgary
Edo Japan
Quick-service restaurant concept designed to bring its unique Teppan-style cooking process of fresh, hot and delicious Japanese-style meals to Canadian consumers as an alternative to traditional North American fast food offerings.
Professional/financial services
Mac Van Wielingen│ Calgary
ARC Financial Corp.
Leading private equity investment management company focused on the energy sector in Canada, having raised and deployed approximately $2.7 billion of captial and has invested in more than 150 resource companies.
Technology
Art Price │ Calgary
Axia NetMedia Corporation
Sells Real Broadband™ and passive services on Next Generation Networks that have implemented the Axia NGN Solution, which has been implemented in Alberta, France, Singapore, Spain and Massachusetts.
What’s next?
As the Prairies region’s 2011 Entrepreneur Of The Year, Van Wielingen will compete with top entrepreneurs from the Prairies, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic region for the national honour of Canada’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011, to be presented at a gala celebration November 23, 2011, in Toronto. In June 2012, Canada’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 will move to the world stage to compete with 50 country recipients for the title of Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year®.
About Entrepreneur of The Year
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards honour the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. Nominees are reviewed by an independent judging panel, which is composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. The 2011 Prairies region judging panel consisted of Jack Donald, president and CEO, Parkland Properties Ltd.; Mike Duff, president and CEO, Design Group Staffing Services Inc.; Kevin Wolfe, Richmond Equity Management Ltd.; Tony Franceschini, retired president and CEO, Stantec Inc.
For more information on the program, FAQs, and key dates please visit ey.com/ca/EOY.
This year’s national program sponsors are National Post, La Presse and RDI. Prairies sponsors include Business in Calgary and Calgary Herald.
About Ernst & Young LLP’s Entrepreneurial Services practice
Ernst & Young LLP’s Entrepreneurial Services practice serves Canada’s entrepreneurs by delivering integrated business advisory services in assurance, tax, transactions, and advisory services to help them drive growth and create value. Our team of professionals has a track record of focusing on the issues and needs of companies as they grow from early stage to become market leaders. Ernst & Young has long worked with and celebrated the achievements of Canadian men and women who create the products, services and jobs that propel Canada’s economy and communities forward. For more information, please visit ey.com/ca/Entrepreneurs.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.