30 July

Neal Gandhi, author of Born Global and CEO of Quickstart Global, has been declared finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year  in the National Business Awards, in association with Orange.

Other organisations shortlisted this year range from the well-known – Unilever, Camelot, Marks & Spencer, American Express, Coca Cola, The Co-Operative Group and Kwik Fit – through to the rising stars of Ella’s Kitchen, Freesat, Coffee Nation, Naked Wines, and Cheapflights.

Martin Stiven, Vice President, Orange UK, said, “Orange has sponsored the National Business Awards for the past nine years and I am delighted that the calibre of entrants keeps on improving.  It’s been a tough couple of years for business but the UK’s organisations have not let this stop them from delivering success.  I’d like to congratulate all the finalists for being a real inspiration for what is possible in business”.

Commenting on the encouraging figures and the calibre of entries, Philip Forrest, Chairman of Judges, the National Business Awards, said: “The economic climate continues to present UK businesses with an unprecedented challenge and it is therefore encouraging that the entries in this year’s National Business Awards have shown no drop in quality or performance. Congratulations to all finalists for demonstrating great strength in the ability to adapt and innovate quickly which no doubt reflects the resilience and optimism that are the hallmarks of UK enterprise.”

The next stage of the competition will involve all finalists making a presentation to an independent panel of expert judges in the autumn. Winners will be unveiled at a glittering award ceremony on 9 November at the Grosvenor House hotel in London.

More information on Neal Gandhi and his book can be found on Neal’s profile page .
More information on Quickstart Global can be found on their website: www.quickstartglobal.com