Celebrating the 35th class of unstoppable entrepreneurs who transform the Southwest region and beyond
DALLAS, TX, 15 June, 2021 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Chakri Gottemukkala, co-founder and CEO of o9 Solutions, was a finalist of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Southwest Award. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors innovative business leaders whose ambition, leadership, and success stood out in a year of global disruptions.
Chakri Gottemukkala was selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced on August 4, 2021 during a virtual celebration and will become lifetime members of an esteemed global community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni.
Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on the following criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries.
Chakri Gottemukkala co-founded o9, along with Sanjiv Sidhu, because he realized the big challenges of siloed planning in global companies and envisioned how emerging digital technologies, like AI, Big Data and Machine Learning, create an integrated, end-to-end approach to supply chain management. His commitment to innovation and excellence is reflected in his leadership style of setting big goals but inspiring the o9 team to “Aim 10x in every process” and embrace the mission to be the Most Valuable Platform (MVP) for global enterprises.
“It is an honor to be a finalist in the EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 award in the Southwest category. Despite the volatile world disruptions of the last year, the entire o9 team was dedicated to achieving the best results for our customers. Being nominated for this prestigious award is a testament to the great results and value we as a team have delivered. It is an honor to be recognized among the other finalists in the Southwest region,” says Chakri Gottemukkala.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2022.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America.
In the Southwest Region, sponsors also include Colliers International, Haynes and Boone LLP, PNC, Donnelley Financial Solutions, RHSB, Smith Frank & Partners and D CEO Magazine.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy
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