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Borys Lozhkin, United Media Holding, named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 In Ukraine
KYIV, 8 December, 2008 – The winner of the national round of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award has been announced. At an awards ceremony held on December 6 in Kyiv, Borys Lozhkin, President of United Media Holding, who also won the Fast-Growing Business nomination, was named the winner of the national round of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 Award in Ukraine. In May 2009, he will represent Ukraine at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award finals in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Today United Media Holding is an absolute leader on the press market, a key player in the broadcast and press retail markets, and is among the top three internet holdings of Ukraine — as well as the most dynamic publishing group in Russia.
The independent jury also recognized winners of the national round in the following nominations:
- Small Business – Anatoliy Zdorovets, Director, Doslidne Vyrobnytstvo (Research Production)
- Socially Responsible Business – Vyatcheslav Moskalevskyi, President, Roshen
- Innovative Ideas in Business – Mykola Tolmachov, Director General,ТММ
- Fast-Growing Business – Borys Lozhkin, President, United Media Holding
According to chairman of the jury Anatoliy Kinakh, the efforts of the government and businesses in supporting the national economy have finally come together. "In uncertain times, one of the key factors for successful development of both business and the country as a whole — not only for Ukraine, but also the world economy — is the entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to quickly find reasonable solutions of complex tasks," he said.
Alexander Svistich, Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director in Ukraine, remarked that the contest is not only about winning award. "One of the important functions of the program is focusing public attention on relevant issues of development of national economies, the social importance of the national business, especially under today’s tough conditions. Entrepreneurs have always been and will remain a key figure in business. They are a source of new ideas and solutions required by every organization to survive a changing economic landscape. In fact, the world finals of the program are a platform for communication between talented and successful entrepreneurs from all over the world — an opportunity to share experience and interesting, strong solutions for sophisticated business situations," he said.
Winning the national round confers significant advantages while also requiring serious responsibility. In fact, at the final awards, the winner represents not only his own business, but the entire community of entrepreneurs of Ukraine and the country itself. In May 2009, at the world finals in Monte Carlo, an independent jury will name the individual whose entrepreneurial skills, talent and business achievements make him or her the World Entrepreneur Of The Year. Borys Lozhkin will be contesting with 49 finalists from other countries.
The conditions of participation in the contest have not changed since its launch. During individual communication, the jury personally meet each participant, discuss business issues, and form an impression of the participants’ business and managerial skills. The jury of the national round, in addition to the chairman, Anatoliy Kinakh, also includes Jon Edwards, Director of the London Stock Exchange in CIS; Volodymyr Kolodyuk, President of Unitrade Group, winner of the Young Entrepreneur nomination at the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 Award; and Mykola Lagun, Head of Supervisory Board of Delta Bank, winner of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 in Ukraine.
Ukraine first joined the Entrepreneur Of The Year program in 2006 and became the 38th participating country. In 2006, Mykhailo Levchenko, CEO of Millenium Capital, was named the winner of the national round of the contest; in 2007, Mykola Lagun, Head of the Supervisory Board of Delta Bank, won.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Award was first held by Ernst & Young in 1986 in the United States. Today, this unique worldwide program covers 50 countries. The participants of the contest are middle and large businesses, and the winners in each participating country are announced by a national jury consisting of independent experts who are well-known members of the business community. Ukraine joined the program in 2006. More details about the contest can be found at eoy-ua.com
About the winner
Borys Lozhkin is the president and founder of United Media Holding. Borys Yevhenovych Lozhkin was born on 23 October 1971 in Kharkiv. He graduated Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Russian Language and Literature faculty, and the International Institute of Humanization and Education Development, United States, qualifying as a top manager.
Borys Lozhkin published his first article when he was 15. At the age of 17, he started working as an editor of one of the most popular public-oriented newspapers of Kharkiv. In 1990-1992, he launched a number of media projects: АТВ weekly, a TV program production studio, and advertising agency. In 1994, Lozhkin launched Telenedelya weekly, which within a year went from a local newspaper to a national one. Today, Telenedelya is the most popular magazine in Ukraine and the most actively developed project in Russia. On Telenedelya’s basis, United Media Holding, one of the most dynamic media groups of the post-Soviet market, was created in 1999. In May 2008, United Media Holding entered the international stock market with a capitalization of US$300 million.
Today United Media Holding is an absolute leader on the press market, a key player in the broadcast and press retail markets, and is among the top three internet holdings of Ukraine — as well as the most dynamic publishing group in Russia. UMH is the first media company of Ukraine to list shares abroad.
Borys Lozhkin in engaged in social activity: in 1994-2002, he was elected to various municipal posts in Kharkiv; in 1996-1997, he acted as Advisor to the Minister of Economics of Ukraine; in 2003-2005 he was a member of the Council of Entrepreneurs within the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; in 2004-2006 he was President of the Ukrainian Association of Editors of the Periodical Press (UAEPP). He is a member of the board of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), member of the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), honored journalist of Ukraine, winner of the Man Of The Year 2003 Award in the Entrepreneur Of The Year nomination and of the Russian Media Manager 2008 Award.
