EY Honors the Most Resilient and Innovative Entrepreneurs in the Country

EY unveiled the winner of the ‘EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™’ competition at a special gala. Ramil Rzayev, the founder of Baku Holiday Travel (BHT) has been announced as an overall winner of this year’s contest. He will now represent Azerbaijan in the ‘World Entrepreneur Of The Year’ (WEOY) contest slated to take place in Monaco in June and compete for the title along with the world’s most innovative and inspiring entrepreneurs.

This marks the fifth edition of the prestigious contest amongst entrepreneurs made possible with the support from the Main sponsor ABB, unwavering financial support from bp and Veyseloglu Group of Companies. Steadfast support stemmed from Export and Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan, AZPROMO, and a Baku-based consultancy firm EKVITA.

The winner was determined by an independent judging panel made up of esteemed members of the business community, representatives of international finance institutions and renowned senior executives. The judges had a pool of 20 inspiring and courageous entrepreneurs with an impressive track-record to choose from.

EY and its esteemed partners announced the overall winner during a special award ceremony convened in Baku on 13 March. The event boasted the presence of high-ranking government officials and the leaders of the business community.

Ramil shared his thoughts after the announcement: “I would like to thank EY Azerbaijan for organizing this contest and supporting me throughout the application process. I’m immensely proud that the jury clearly saw and appreciated BHT’s ambition to create a global travel portal, poised to rival industry giants. The company aims to serve as a go-to source about tourism opportunities in Azerbaijan, and all the amazing things our country offers to travelers around the globe. This award means a great deal to me! It will encourage me to work harder to propel BHT to new heights. I will do my best to honorably represent Azerbaijan at WEOY in Monaco”.

After thoroughly assessing the contestants’ applications and carefully considering their merits, the judges decided to recognize winners in the following nominations:

• 'Innovations' - Adil Gasimov representing Push30;
• 'Agricultural Development' - Farid Akbarzade representing Umut Agro;
• 'Regional Development' - Tariyel Mirzoyev representing BalKhoorma;
• 'Sustainable Development' - Ilkin Hajiyev representing Sustainera Solutions;
• 'Environmental Solutions' - Vusal Hasanov representing BAFT & Partners;
• 'Woman Entrepreneur' - Inara Mirzazade representing Alpha-Omega;
• 'Beyond Azerbaijan' - Tehran Aliyev representing VITAM.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year™

Entrepreneur Of The Year™, founded by EY in 1986, is one of the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. It is a unique global program that recognizes entrepreneurial achievement among individuals and companies that demonstrate vision, leadership, and success — and work to improve the quality of life in their communities, countries and around the world.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ program currently operates in more than 60 countries and 145 cities around the world. By participating in this program, entrepreneurs can connect with their peers, access relevant insights to help navigate their growth journey and raise the profile of their companies and teams. Each program culminates in the announcement of an overall winner who then competes for the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in Monaco.

Entrepreneur Of The Year™ was launched in Azerbaijan with the genuine intention to honor, support and connect local entrepreneurs. The program recognizes successful entrepreneurs making a positive impact on their society and the economy, and the legacies they’re building.

To get more information about the Program please follow the link: www.eoy.az