World's top entrepreneur announced

Wayne Huizenga

United States-based entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga has been named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year. 

Mr Huizenga was selected from 35 country finalists and awarded the title in Monte Carlo, Monaco yesterday. He is the only person in corporate history to be responsible for six companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and to have founded three Fortune 500 companies.

He created the global leader in waste management, Waste Management as well as the third largest US waste disposal company, Republic Industries. He also created Blockbuster Entertainment, the global leader in video entertainment, created AutoNation, the country's first and world's largest public automotive dealership, was the owner of three professional US sports teams, and is currently the owner of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.

New Zealand was represented in the international line up of entrepreneurs by fitness pioneer Phillip Mills of Les Mills International, who won the New Zealand Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award last year.

Commenting from Monte Carlo, Mr Mills said Huizenga was a deserved winner of the title.

"Wayne is simply a fantastic entrepreneur with an amazing record of having had three companies in the Fortune 500. He is also a really inspirational character - one of the real 'good guys' of international business, with a real concern for the environment and doing things for people less fortunate than himself," said Mr Mills.

He added it had been a privilege for himself and his wife Jackie to meet and talk to many incredible people during the three days of the awards event.

"It has simply been a fantastic experience and we have made some good friends here. Many of them are making a real difference for the good of humanity – from producing cheaper AIDS drugs for Africa, for example, to developing some simply amazing medical diagnostic equipment."

Phillip Mills pioneered the introduction of freestyle group exercise in New Zealand and developed a series of hugely popular exercise-to-music classes that would later evolve into the seven programmes now distributed globally by Les Mills.

With four million participants weekly and licensees in 55 independent countries, Les Mills International has gained widespread recognition as the world's biggest producer of branded fitness classes.

Entries for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year are now open and close on 8 July. New Zealand's 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced at an award banquet on Wednesday, 12 October.

Now in its eighth year in New Zealand and nineteenth year worldwide, the award programme was launched by Ernst & Young to celebrate the world's leading entrepreneurs and share their stories to inspire others.

Potential entrants can contact Ernst & Young for more information.

email entrepreneur@nz.ey.com or visit www.ey.com/nz.