EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026: One female entrepreneur and two male entrepreneurs from Switzerland win the award

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• The winners in the three categories of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 award are: Daniela Marino (CUTISS), Thomas Taroni (PHOENIQS) and Pascal Bourquard Jr (BIWI).
• This year’s winners come from the economic region of Zurich, Central Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland and represent the fields of biotechnology and healthcare, technology and AI, as well as materials technology and industrial manufacturing.
• The awards ceremony took place on October 23, 2026, as part of the 29th edition of the program at the Kongresshaus Zürich.

Zurich, 23 October  2026 – The auditing and consulting firm EY Switzerland’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 award – the 29th year of the program – has been presented to Swiss business personalities in recognition of their innovation and commitment.

Stefan Rösch-Rütsche, EY Switzerland’s Country Managing Partner, commented: “Swiss entrepreneurs make a significant contribution to our prosperity, so it has been an honor for us to recognize them for more than a quarter of a century. As in previous years, we had the privilege of whittling down an array of candidates to a shortlist of outstanding finalists and then selecting the winners in the three categories of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award from that shortlist. The range of personalities, ideas and business models once again demonstrates the strength and innovative power of Swiss entrepreneurship.”

This year’s awards ceremony was held as part of a gala at the Kongresshaus Zürich. More than 400 distinguished guests from the worlds of business, politics and society attended the celebrations and witnessed an awards ceremony in which nine outstanding companies made the finals. The Zurich girl group Mixed Flames provided the musical accompaniment. The five singers exemplify diversity, thereby embodying a value that also shapes many of the finalists: Diversity, the basis for innovation and lasting success.

Frédéric Tissot, Head of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Switzerland, said: “A total of 70 business personalities from 57 companies were nominated for the 2026 program. I would like to express my sincere thanks for the trust you have placed in us in our annual program. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to this evening’s nominees, finalists and, in particular, award-winning business personalities, as well as their teams. They stood out in an exceptionally strong field of participants and their success was thoroughly deserved. They exemplify entrepreneurial courage, foresight and perseverance and show how innovation, responsibility and sustainable growth are advancing the Swiss economy and society.”

An independent panel of 11 judges selected this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners from the nine companies that reached the finals. The winners in the three categories are:

Daniela Marino, CUTISS (ZH)

in the “Scale-up Leaders” category; sector: Biotechnology and Healthcare

CUTISS develops biotechnological solutions for the production of human skin tissue. Under the leadership of Daniela Marino, the company is working on denovoSkin™, a personalized tissue therapy based on living human skin. A specially developed automation platform is intended to enable needs-based and scalable production. The therapy is aimed at patients who require skin surgery following severe burns or for reconstructive and aesthetic procedures.

The judges say: “Daniela Marino combines scientific excellence and entrepreneurial courage with exceptional resilience and a clear vision. With CUTISS, she is driving forward pioneering innovation that opens up new perspectives for patients and has the potential to shape the future of regenerative medicine in the long term. What is particularly impressive is the perseverance and conviction with which she translates research into specific medical applications and promotes access to innovative therapies. With her scientific thinking, willingness to learn and clear outcome-based focus, she is the embodiment of a business personality who is making a name for herself far beyond the boundaries of her industry.”

Thomas Taroni, PHOENIQS (SZ)

in the “Visionary Entrepreneurs” category; sector: Technology and AI

PHOENIQS is a Swiss-based AI and cloud service provider. Led by Thomas Taroni, it provides sovereign, high-performance computing solutions for companies requiring scalability, security and data sovereignty. Fully integrated AI and cloud environments ensure adherence to strict data governance regulations and make PHOENIQS the only sovereign provider of high-end AI infrastructure in Switzerland.

The judges say: “Thomas Taroni stands out for his pioneering spirit, willingness to take risks and clear vision. With a strong drive for innovation, he systematically pursues long-term opportunities and plays an active role in shaping the future of his industry. With PHOENIQS, he is laying the foundations for sovereign AI and cloud infrastructures, thereby setting new standards for Europe’s digital future. His passion for technology, courage to break new ground and consistent focus on data sovereignty make him an entrepreneur who not only accompanies technological developments, but also plays an active role in shaping them.”

Pascal Bourquard Jr, BIWI (JU)

in the “Entrepreneurs in Family Business” category; sector: Material Technology and Industrial Manufacturing

As a family-run company, BIWI has been developing and producing high-performance materials based on elastomers, composites, carbon and silicone for over 45 years. Under the leadership of Pascal Bourquard Jr, the company holds more than 22 patents and supplies over 300 international brands in industries such as luxury watches, medical technology, motorsport, aerospace and defense. With its innovative strength and specialized material expertise, BIWI is one of the leading technology partners in challenging high-tech markets. The company’s fields of activity also include the production of Swiss identity cards.

The judges say: “Pascal Bourquard Jr impressed us with his authenticity, entrepreneurial spirit and ability to combine tradition and innovation. He is the third generation to head BIWI, the family business, taking a forward-looking approach to its development with courage and creativity and in close proximity to employees and customers. Particularly noteworthy are his long-term thinking and willingness to consistently focus on innovation, even in challenging markets. He is down to earth, aware of his responsibility and interacts closely with customers and employees, thereby embodying the values of someone heading a modern family business but in his own special way.”

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – a global network for visionary entrepreneurs

The awards ceremony is the highlight of a year-long program for all the entrepreneurs nominated. However, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is more than just the “Oscars for entrepreneurs”: It is a tight-knit and established network for business personalities that enables and fosters contact and exchanges between all those across the world who have ever been contenders. Today, the global network comprises 60 programs in more than 94 countries and regions and connects more than 50,000 business personalities around the world.

The judges of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards in Switzerland

The judging panel for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards in Switzerland consists of 11 independent members who autonomously review all the nominees, select the finalists and finally decide on the winners. The panel is made up of the following personalities from the Swiss business scene:

• Daniel Bossard | CEO Bossard Group | EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023
• Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli | Board Member Startupticker | Member of the Scientific Technical Committee of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
• Marco Gadola | Board Chair DKSH and Medartis | Board Vice Chair Straumann Group
• Thomas Hanan | Founder and CEO, Webrepublic, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017
• Jan Lichtenberg | CEO and Co-Founder InSphero | EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015
• Didier Maus | Board Chair Maus Frères
• Michael Mueller | Group CEO Valora and Head Europe FEMSA Proximity & Health
• Piero Poli | Board Chair and CEO Rivopharm
• Jean-Marc Probst | Board Chair Probst Group Holding
• Franziska Tschudi Sauber | Board Chair Weidmann Holding | EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022
• Pascale Vonmont | CEO/Director Gebert Rüf Stiftung

Program partner and sponsors

EY Switzerland is supported in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program by Julius Baer as program partner, as well as Girard-Perregaux, HDI Global, SWISS and Volvo Cars as sponsors.

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EY’s organization is represented in Switzerland by Ernst & Young Ltd, Basel, with 10 offices across Switzerland, and in Liechtenstein by Ernst & Young AG, Vaduz. In this publication, “EY” and “we” refer to Ernst & Young Ltd, Basel, a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.