The leading business magazine for the Midlands, Business Insider, has voted Tony Neill of Keele-based Navman Wireless, Entrepreneur of the Year.
Head of vehicle tracking and satellite navigation specialists Navman Wireless UK Ltd (Vice President globally), Tony has grown the company rapidly from a turnover of £500,000 to £26 million in just six years, further strengthening its position at the forefront of the industry.
The annual 42 under 42 awards recognise the region's young entrepreneurs for their success and influence on the business community. 42 people under the age of 42 were chosen by Business Insider judges who attended a glittering ceremony at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham last week.
Among the 42 people, Tony was voted outright winner. Kurt Jacobs, Editor of Business Insider said: "Tony was the winner among an extremely talented group of young individuals. We thought, however, that his contribution to the business was exceptional and we were extremely impressed."
Tony Neill, however, was keen to point out that the success of Navman Wireless was very much a team effort. He said: "The challenge of succeeding in a competitive and fast changing technology sector provides stimulation on a personal level, every single day. But watching a dedicated team of talented individuals achieve market leading status is even more rewarding.
"To be one of the 42 people chosen for the region was enough, to be voted outright winner was a shock but an incredibly pleasant surprise."
Navman Wireless has, in the last year, won the Staffordshire Evening Sentinel Business Innovation of the Year Award and the Midlands and East of England Growth Strategy of the Year for the National Business Awards, referred to by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as the 'Business Oscars'.