Forest Papír's founder becomes 'Entrepreneur of the Year' for 2009
Budapest, 31 January 2010. – The Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' award winners were announced today. This was the seventh consecutive year when Ernst & Young handed over the 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' awards at a gala dinner. In 2009 the Independent Panel of Judges made the following decisions:
'Entrepreneur Of The Year' – Ferenc Bodrogai, owner and Managing Director of Forest Papír Kft,
'Master Entrepreneur' – József Péter Tóth, owner and Managing Director of Lipóti Pékség bakery,
'Innovator' – Réka Matheidesz, founder and Managing Director of WAMP (Sunday artists' market),
'Emerging Entrepreneur' Péter Perger, founder and Managing Director of NetPincér.hu.
'We are particularly pleased to find a great number of genuine Hungarian brands and innovations that represent local small and medium sized companies, among the application forms for 2009. This is also reflected in the list of award winners, whose activity rightly makes us proud. These categories' winners could strengthen and grow despite the crisis; they carried out substantial investments and expanded abroad in 2009.
Their success is a result of unremitting renewal attempts and responsibility for the immediate surroundings, Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young István Havas commented on the Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' award.
Each year an Independent Panel of Judges uses a set of international criteria to select the Hungarian winners of Ernst & Young's worldwide-acknowledged prestigious business award with globally registered trademark. Beyond the results of the company led by the awarded executive, strategic approach, personal integrity, willingness to take risks, international impact, and their attitude to innovation are all important aspects of the selection.
This year Ernst & Young's 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' title was awarded to Forest Papír Kft's Manager Director Ferenc Bodrogai. 'The winner businessman's enterprise was inspired by an innovative thought, or business idea. His motivation was so strong and he believed in his concept with such a commitment that he gave up his secure top executive position and started to accomplish his dream. His work has created a well-known Hungarian brand and made a high quality innovative product. Owing to his innovative approach and continuous enthusiasm to renew, his company functions as a stable and growing enterprise amongst multinational competitors. In the current difficult economic situation, his strategic thinking and foresight are best reflected by the nearly 30% revenue growth his company achieved. Both as a businessman and a private person, one of his top priorities is to develop and promote Hungary's small and medium sized companies: this is what he had in mind when he founded the Hungarian Product public company and established the trademark of Hungarian products of excellence,' the Independent Judging Panel's rationale stated.
The list of Ferenc Bodrogai's entrepreneurial virtues includes the thorough knowledge of the trade and the market, strategic thinking, innovation ability, commitment to team building, social responsiveness and extraordinary working capacity. He founded Forest Papír Kft as a commercial company specialized in household paper products in 1994. In a single year, the rapidly growing turnover established the market base required for organizing own manufacturing. From among his social responsibilities, the panel recognized the foundation of the public interest company that manages the 'Magyar Termék' (Hungarian product) certification trademark and the organization and the financing of the 'Forest Suli Olimpia' sports initiative.
The 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' title has been awarded to Károly Gerendai (2008), György Jaksity (2007), Gábor Bojár (2006), Sándor Demján (2005), Dr Sándor Kürti (2004) and Dr Sándor Csányi (2003).
This year József Péter Tóth won the 'Master Entrepreneur' prize. The founder and the operative leader of the Lipóti Pékség bakery launched his enterprise in 1992 in his home community Lipót, Western Hungary, where he became mayor in 2006. His franchise chain consists of 82 showrooms across Hungary, including 32 shops in the capital city alone. A keystone of quality is the manufacturing of traditional hand-made bread and bakery products that offer traditional flavour and special delight. He successfully entered the competition with multinational chain stores; his enterprise and his brand signify maintaining traditions and creating value. He spends a lot of time, efforts and money on developing rural cultural and social life.
The 'Innovator' is Réka Matheidesz, co-founder, Managing Director and Strategic Leader of WAMP (Sunday design market). By establishing WAMP, she intended to introduce an innovative cooperation model in Hungary, based on collaboration between designers, players of economy and the public. WAMP creates opportunities for talented designers to make themselves known in Hungary and beyond. She was the first in Hungary to successfully unite this diversified area and she demonstrated that arts could simultaneously be the means for creating business and social-cultural values.
The 'Emerging Entrepreneur' Péter Perger wanted to launch a popular user-friendly online enterprise with his friends in the early 90-ies. Their brainchild is NetPincér.hu, a worldwide unique website that brings together home delivery restaurants' offers. Despite all the success, Péter Perger has not abandoned his original profession and now he is in charge of making NetPincér's IT system plans. Getting ahead of most Hungarian online enterprises and SMEs in general, he started NetPincér's regional expansion in 2004, and currently runs a collective food order website in eight countries.
In accordance with Ernst & Young's rules for the Entrepreneur Of The Year prize, this year Ferenc Bodrogai will represent Hungary at Ernst & Young's 'World Entrepreneur Of The Year' gala in Monte Carlo, together with other countries' national award winners. Similarly to the national competitions, a panel of outstanding businesspeople and worldwide renowned experts will make decide on the most excellent international entrepreneur.
Members of the annually renewing Independent Judging Panel are prominent players of Hungary's scientific and economic life, who themselves excel in exemplary business behaviour or scientific achievement. This year Corvinus University's lecturer and Director of the Competitiveness Research Centre Dr Attila Chikán presided over the Independent Judging Panel. Other members of the panel are American Chamber of Commerce's Chairman dr Gusztáv Bienerth; Richter Gedeon Nyrt's CEO and the 'Ideal entrepreneur of the year' in 2005 Erik Bogsch; Sziget Kft's Managing Director and 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' in 2008 Károly Gerendai; Raiffeisen Bank Zrt's Deputy CEO Krisztina Horváth; KA-VOSZ Zrt's CEO László Krisán; and Coca-Cola HBC Hungary's Managing Director József Tarsoly.
Sponsors of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program are Provident Pénzügyi Zrt and SAP Hungary, and its media sponsors are Tv2, Figyelő, FigyelőNet, Klubrádió, Világgazdaság, Heti Válasz and Manager Magazin.
Notes to the Editor
About the Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur Of The Year' awardIn 1986 Ernst & Young launched in the US the 'Entrepreneur Of The Year®' (EOY) program, the single international business award with trademark, to recognize efforts, endurance and faith that lead to acknowledgement and businesspeople showing outstanding performance. This highly prestigious honour has been awarded in Hungary since 2003 to executives who present successful financial results, excel in unique and innovative solutions and are trustworthy and balanced leaders of their enterprises. Nowadays this program is organized in nearly 50 countries of six continents. More information:
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