Our commitment: Strategic Growth Markets

Growing companies are vitally important. What they do matters — to everyone. They create jobs, and provide the products and services that help drive the economy. Ernst & Young’s Strategic Growth Markets practice (SGM) is proud of its role in serving these companies as they become market leaders. SGM is all about helping growing companies maintain their momentum.

At Ernst & Young we understand growing companies and the delicate balance between sustaining growth and innovation, while managing risk and building infrastructure. We are the undisputed leader in serving the Russell 3000, high-growth-private companies, companies with significant investments from venture capital or private equity firms, and companies planning to go public. By accessing our global resources we can help you with mergers, acquisitions and other strategic transactions; aligning your tax strategy with your business goals; managing risk and improving processes; and reducing the complexity of regulation and reporting.

The first annual Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum was a resounding success, with a number of programs designed for each stage of a company’s business life cycle. Visit the Forum site to learn more about the event, results from our new IPO survey, and video of Forum webcasts analyzing IPOs from the class of ’06/’07 and what you need to know about being a public company and delivering on your IPO promises.

Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year announced

Matthew Szulik, Chairman of Red Hat, Inc., was honored as the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The YearŽ on Nov. 15 at the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum. Szulik was chosen from among 10 national Entrepreneur Of The Year category winners representing 26 US regions. Szulik’s company is the world’s leading free and open source software provider. If you missed the live webcast of the event, watch the archive available now.

Thought Center webcasts

Is your risk management strategy sustainable?

Effectively managing risk can be a high-growth company’s competitive advantage. Are your risk management practices enabling sustainable performance as your company grows? In a recent Thought Center webcast, management executives from Corning Inc., Under Armour, Inc. and Ernst & Young LLP discussed risk management insights for high-growth companies. Watch the archive.

Learn from the best: Growth secrets from Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year winners

Wondering when to consider an IPO or how to raise capital in a tight market? In a recent webcast, a panel of America’s top entrepreneurs discussed these and other topics critical to your company’s growth and success. This Thought Center Webcast, hosted by Deborah Norville of TV’s Inside Edition, was first in Ernst & Young’s Strategic Growth Leadership Series, bringing you the latest deal and industry trends. If you missed it, watch the archive.

IPO

Planning an IPO?

Despite the swelling subprime crisis and weakening economy, 2007 was the strongest US IPO market in seven years. Companies in the financial, technology and energy sectors, Chinese companies and corporate carve-outs were key drivers. Get an in-depth review – along with trends and perspectives for markets worldwide – in "Global IPO trends report 2008" from Ernst & Young Global.

Be prepared for bumps in road post-IPO

Even CEOs who delivered on their earnings forecasts following an IPO admit hitting snags once their company was public according to a survey announced at the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum’s IPO Transformation~CEO Retreat. The results reveal insights on CEOs’ motivations and timing for going public, their changing role, readiness to be a public company, and attracting and retaining investors. Find details in our press release.

IPO success factors from the class of '06/'07

Knowing what successful IPOs have in common can help you anticipate performance of your IPO and influence your decisions during the planning stages. Watch the video archive of a recent Thought Center Webcast from the CEO Transformation ~ IPO Retreat at the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, where Maria Pinelli, Americas Director of Strategic Growth Markets, analyzes the recurring factors for successful IPOs revealed in our survey of 110 IPOs from 2006 and the first half of 2007.

Cleantech

What is your business doing in response to climate change?

This phenomenon is transforming every industry, at every stage of development. In the latest issue of Cleantech Matters, read about the top ten strategic business risks and opportunities in the fast-growing green building industry. Hear what Paul Dickinson, CEO of the Carbon Disclosure Project, and others have to say on how companies can reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Partnerships for cleantech

With the world economy facing challenges from energy prices, resource scarcity, resource security, and global climate change, clean technology has moved from vision to reality. Get insights into global cleantech trends, as well as perspectives on IPOs and venture capital investments and possible exits, in “Partnership,” our first annual global cleantech report.

Understanding cleantech policy, incentives and regulations

Government policy is a large driver of the clean technology industry through incentives and regulations affecting energy suppliers, innovative companies, and energy consumers alike. If you missed joining us on September 20 for a live Thought Center Webcast, stay tuned for the archive in video format, and learn how businesses are taking advantage of current incentive opportunities to finance growth, improve their infrastructure efficiency, and reduce their carbon footprint.

Wherever you are based or expanding — from Silicon Valley to Boston, to Paris, Munich, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, Sydney and beyond — we have professionals dedicated to helping fast-growth businesses in all of the world’s hotbed markets.