Vassallo Group’s Nazzareno Vassallo wins the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Malta and John Winfield wins the EY Rising Star

Nazzareno Vassallo, chairman of Vassallo Group, has won the fourth edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year™. Vassallo Group is involved in several sectors in the local market that include property and construction, furniture and interiors, elderly and disability, catering, hospitality, architecture and education. The Group employs over 1,700 people. This June, Vassallo will represent Malta and compete in EY’s World Entrepreneur of the Year™ award together with business leaders from more than 60 countries.

John Winfield, founder and managing director of Dr Juice, has taken home the prize of EY’s Rising Star, an award which is supported by Melita Ltd.

EY has been holding the Entrepreneur of the Year™ awards globally for over three decades. Now, found in more than 60 countries, they include a global network of 50,000 entrepreneurs and are the global benchmark for capturing today’s and tomorrow’s entrepreneurial spirit.

The Maltese award is adjudicated by an independent panel made up of key figures from the business community. This year’s panel included David Xuereb (president, Malta Chamber); Paul Abela (president, Malta Chamber of SMEs), Sue Vella (non-executive director, HSBC); Rick Hunkin (CEO, Bank of Valletta); Catherine Calleja (managing director, Atlas Health Insurance), and David Darmanin (CEO & founder, Hotjar and Entrepreneur of the Year winner 2019).

The Malta award promotes entrepreneurship across the Maltese islands and empowers entrepreneurs to grow their businesses both locally and globally. Apart from 2019’s win by Darmanin of Hotjar, previous winners include Alfred Pisani (Corinthia Group) in 2017 and Angelo Xuereb (AX Holdings) in 2018.

Ronald Attard, EY Malta’s Country managing partner, said: “The past year has been extremely difficult for many Maltese businesses, but this award is a celebration of entrepreneurs who keep moving forward and believing in their ideas, despite so much uncertainty. The award has once again attracted exceptionally strong nominations. This year’s overall winner is a seasoned entrepreneur whose longterm vision and perseverance has undoubtedly served as inspiration to many. The Rising Star is a captivating success story on how to promote a healthy lifestyle. As the road to recovery commences after the immediate impact of Covid-19, I am certain inspirational Maltese entrepreneurs will be a driving force in the process.”

Malcolm Briffa, Melita Ltd’s director of Business Services, said: “Up-and-coming entrepreneurs, who create novel business opportunities, are a true source of inspiration for Melita to continue providing cutting-edge technology, which can so often be fundamental to making their dreams a reality. Our support of the Rising Star award recognises the hard work and talent needed to create and grow a nascent business, bringing the individuals and their businesses to the fore, not only to be recognised by their peers but also to serve as a motivation for us all.”

The awards are supported by Melita Ltd, the Malta Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Chamber of SMEs.