EY has announced its EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Midlands and South West finalists, with Sean Taylor, Co-founder and Director of Zip World, which offers adventures and experiences including the fastest zip line in the world, based in Bethesda, North Wales, being selected as a finalist.

Andrew Perkins, Senior Partner at EY in the South West & Wales, said: “It’s fantastic news that Sean have been recognised in this year’s programme, which supports the enviable entrepreneurial community we have in Wales. Zip World not only creates jobs and generate wealth, they also contribute to the continued growth of the local economy.”

The finalists in the 2019 Midlands and South West programme will convene at an awards ceremony in June in Birmingham where an independent panel of judges will select the entrepreneurs who will represent the region at the national event in the autumn to vie for the title ‘EY UK Entrepreneur Of The Year’. The Midlands and South West winners will compete against entrepreneurs from Scotland, the North of England, and London & South.

The overall winner will then represent the UK at the ‘EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year’ in summer 2020, a forum which gathers the world’s most inspiring entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries.

Midlands and South West judging panel

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Midlands and South West judging panel is co-chaired by Nicholas Georgevic, Chairman and CEO of Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care; and Tracy Lewis, Non-Executive Director at Staffline Group Plc.

Nicholas and Tracy are joined by:

Rosie Ginday, MBE, Founder of Miss Macaroon

Wendy Merricks, CEO of Jumar Solutions

Gurinder Sunner, Investor at BGF

Michael Ward, CEO of Gateley Plc

Full list of 2019 Midlands and South West finalists