OREANDA-NEWS  On 26 November was announced, that the winner of the Russia Entrepreneur of the Year Award is Sergey Vykhodtsev, CEO of VELLE.

The winner of the Russia Entrepreneur Of The Year Award held by Ernst & Young has been selected. Sergey Vykhotsev of St. Petersburg was presented with the award at a ceremony on 20 November in Moscow. The national award winner will represent Russia at the international final ceremony, which will take place in Monte Carlo in May 2009.

In 2004 Sergey set up a company called VELLE as a logical follow up to his previous projects, Invite and Bystrov. The company is involved in developing, manufacturing and marketing bio-oat products based on Karelian recipes. It currently holds licenses to produce bio-oat products and a number of trademarks in 12 European countries. VELLE has offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Amsterdam.

The independent jury also selected winners in the following nominations:

Business Innovations: Sergey Vykhodtsev

VELLE, St. Petersburg

Information Technology: Natalya Kasperskaya

Kaspersky Laboratory, Moscow

Infrastructure and Technology: Yury Biakov

B-A-C, Moscow

Master of Business: Evgeny Ivanov

Polus Zoloto, Moscow

Young Entrepreneur: Anton Titov

Obuv Rossii, Novosibirsk

Consumer Products: Tigran Nerissian

Borodino Group, Moscow

Manufacturing: Leonid Alekhin

Kazanorgsyntez, Kazan

Small and Medium Business Regional Leader: Ildar Rakhimov

Almacom, Sterlitamak

Retail Chains: Vladimir Sadovin

Azbuka Vkusa, Moscow

Trade: Vitaly Panferov

Trade House Tsaritsyno, Moscow

Services: Grigory Kulikov

MIEL Holding, Moscow

Successful Small Business: Mikhail Ivanov

Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House, Moscow

Special award of the jury 'Strategic Business Leader': Vladimir Busygin

Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Nizhnekamsk

Special award of the jury 'Successful Media Business': Alexander Akopov

AMEDIA, Moscow

Special award of the jury 'Successful Family Business': Natalya Voskoboinikova

Chernovsky Khleb – retail chain, Miass

"Our competition is more than just awards," said Andrey Pozhalov, director of the Russian Entrepreneur Of The Year program. "It is a forum which attracts bright and talented individuals, who use it to share their experience and their success stories with the business community. In holding the international contest, we strive to bring together entrepreneurs in a truly global business community. The competition thus promotes a more favorable business image of a Russian entrepreneur in the world, and the contestants are making an invaluable contribution. The international final ceremony will take place in Monte Carlo in May 2009 with representatives from 50 countries. An independent jury comprising the national award winners of the previous years will announce the person whose entrepreneurship, vision and business achievements distinguish them as the world entrepreneur of the year."