Cirque du Soleil’s Guy Laliberté named Ernst & Young 2007 World Entrepreneur Of The Year

Monte Carlo, 3 June 2007 — Guy Laliberté, Founder and CEO of Canada's Cirque du Soleil was last night named the 2007 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year at a glittering awards ceremony in Monte Carlo. Laliberté was picked from among 39 contestants, all of whom had already been named Entrepreneurs Of The Year in their home countries. Members of the eight-member independent judging panel who chose Laliberté were themselves well-known entrepreneurs.

Since its founding in 1984, Cirque du Soleil, which revolutionized the idea of what a circus could be, has toured more than 100 cities and has permanent shows in purpose-built theaters in Florida and Las Vegas. The company has enjoyed double-digit growth for more than five years.

Chairman of the judging panel, Joseph Schoendorf, Executive Partner of venture capital firm Accel Partners, said, "Guy has changed the face of entertainment and had a huge global impact. The shows that Cirque du Soleil creates and performs have brought joy to millions. All of this year's entrepreneurs were exceptional, but Guy's commitment to his artistic vision and the passion he has for his work were what swayed the judges in his favor."

"Guy has taken a great entrepreneurial journey from street performer to CEO of a globally recognized brand," said Greg Ericksen, Ernst & Young's Global Vice-Chair for Strategic Growth Markets. "Today he oversees every aspect of Cirque du Soleil, and his vision goes far beyond creating entertainment. The company's social action programs support at-risk youth around the globe and Guy's One Drop movement is dedicated to providing clean drinking water to the world," he continued.

"Entrepreneurs sometimes talk about the luck they've had in their careers," said Ernst & Young Chairman and CEO James S. Turley, "but what we’ve seen over 21 years of the Entrepreneur Of The Year program is that luck contributes little to these leaders' successes. Passion, vision, innovation — and a lot of hard work — are what make these entrepreneurs and their companies exceptional. Guy demonstrates these traits in abundance."

About Guy Laliberté and Cirque du Soleil
In the mid-1970s, at the age of 18, Laliberté set off from his native Québec to travel around Europe, supporting himself for four years as a street performer — playing accordion, juggling, stilt walking and breathing fire to earn a living. When he returned home in 1979 he remained as a street performer. In 1984, the province of Québec was celebrating the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery and looking for innovative shows to mark the occasion. Laliberté proposed the first Cirque du Soleil show and the company was born.

Today more than 50 million spectators have seen a Cirque du Soleil production and close to 10 million will have seen one during 2007. The original show in 1984 employed 73 people. Today the business has more than 3,500 employees, including close to 900 performing artists. Cirque's employees and artists represent more than 40 nationalities and speak 25 different languages.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. Recognized globally, the award provides a unique way of encouraging entrepreneurial activity and recognizing the contribution of outstanding men and women who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing, and dynamic business, recognizing them through regional, national, and global awards programs in 125 cities in 40 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to restoring the public's trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 114,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/perspectives. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited does not provide services to clients.

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