Brian announced EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021
Fermoy local and chairman and founder of global packaging company Zeus - Brian O’Sullivan, has been named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, writes Katie Glavin.
Out of 24 finalists spanning retail, consumer, technology and health & leisure sectors, Mr O’Sullivan was announced as the winner at a ceremony which took place at the Powerscourt Hotel last Thursday in county Wicklow.
Speaking about his win, Mr O’Sullivan said he is ‘deeply honoured’ and ‘humbled’.
“I am deeply honoured to be named EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and humbled to be chosen from a field of candidates who have impressed and inspired me so much throughout the competition,” he said.
Zeus Packaging is one of the largest privately-owned packaging companies in Europe. Mr O’Sullivan founded Zeus in 1998 and has built it into a global packaging force with a turnover of €300 million and a staff of 670 people in 26 countries.
As well as picking up the overall award, Mr O’Sullivan also won the International category.
“Entrepreneurship is about hard work and dedication, but also about collaboration. This win recognises the effort and drive of everyone at Zeus as we build it into one of Europe’s largest privately-owned packaging companies.
“We have set ambitious goals which we consistently surpass, allowing us to double our turnover in the last five years,” he added.
Earlier this year, Zeus completed a €40 million, two-year programme of strategic acquisitions as well as the subsequent acquisition of Limerick Packaging in October 2021.
Mr O’Sullivan has led the significant growth of the company from its headquarters in Ireland to many other markets worldwide.
His strategy since establishing Zeus in 1998 has been one of expansion, with acquisitions financed by bank credit rather than outside investment.
This expansion has been fuelled by impressive organic growth and strategic acquisitions, opening up new industries and opportunities.
“As with many industries, the last 18 months have brought challenges we could never have predicted. By working closely with our customers and leveraging our expertise and experience, we have adapted to new market realities.
“Our goal now is to bring our turnover to €500 million in the next five years, by prioritising innovation, people and sustainability,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
Zeus is a leading global packaging solutions company, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. They provide a diverse range of products and supply solutions into a wide variety of markets and have 38 offices worldwide, including Ireland, UK, Germany, Spain, Poland, New Zealand, Canada, China and Australia.
Winners are selected by an independent judging panel and the annual awards ceremony was held as a primarily virtual event and was attended by a virtual audience of more than 2,000 people.
In a year where the programme received a record number of nominations, this year’s finalists collectively employ more than 3,900 people and have revenues in excess of €1 billion.
Alongside Mr O’Sullivan, David Henderson of Tobermore Concrete Limited was named EY Industry Entrepreneur Of The Year, while Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee was announced the 2021 EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year.