Ernst & Young Announces Finalists for the 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Orange County

Irvine, CA, May 11, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Ernst & Young LLP today announced the 15 finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2012 Awards in Orange County. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. These business leaders were selected by a panel of independent judges from more than70 nominations. Award winners will be announced at a special gala on Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Niguel.

The finalists are:

Charles Dunlop, CEO - Ambry Genetics, Aliso Viejo

Mike Morhaime, CEO, President and Co-Founder - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Irvine

Alessandro Pirozzi, Owner and Chef - Cucina Alessa, Newport Beach

Heidi Golledge, CEO and President - CyberCoders, Irvine

Jonathan Ord, CEO - DealerSocket, Inc., San Clemente

Jim McCluney, CEO - Emulex, Costa Mesa

Bill Duehring, President - Felt Racing, LLC, Lake Forest

Andy Fathollahi, CEO - Incipio, Irvine

John Raymont, Founder, CEO and President - Kurion, Inc., Irvine

Michael Manclark, CEO - Leading Edge Aviation, Costa Mesa

Dan Merkle, Chairman and CEO - Lexipol, LLC, Aliso Viejo

Joe Kiani, Chairman and CEO - Masimo Corp., Irvine

Gary Jabara, CEO and President - Mobilitie, LLC, Newport Beach

Jeff Walker, President - Super D, Irvine

David Kim & Jerome Fink, Co-Founders & Managing Partners - The Bascom Group, Irvine

Now in its 26th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2012. The awards will be the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In Orange County, sponsors include: Stradling, Marsh, Union Bank, ADP, Scherzer Intl., Smart Business, HKA, Inc PR, and Strategic Equity Group.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business awards for entrepreneurs. The unique awards program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.