Duda wins a Business Oscar

The Entrepreneur of the Year, Maciej Duda of PKM Duda, will represent Poland in the international finals of Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year contest planned for May next year in Monte Carlo. The prize awarded every year in 40 countries by the consulting firm is often referred to as the  Business Oscars.

"What I've noticed when reviewing the candidatures of this year's contestants is that Polish companies want to grow, they want to consolidate or have already started to consolidate, which is the case of Duda, Graal or CCC. They are also very often family businesses. And, what's very important, they look for managerial support outside of the organization," said Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, CEO of Pekao and head of the jury.

The winner's company, PKM Duda, is a family business. It was set up by the current president's father and is now managed by Maciej and his sister.

"We're a family business supported by stock-exchange capital. Since our debut in 2002, the price of our shares has grown 1,200 percent, our revenues are five times higher and net profit has multiplied tenfold," said Maciej Duda.

This is the fourth edition of the contest in Poland. The first Polish entrepreneur to get the Business Oscar was Krzysztof Pawłowski, founder and rector of the Higher School of Business - National-Louis University in Nowy Sšcz. The second prize went to bicycle producer Kross' president Zbigniew Sosnowski. Last year the title was awarded to Tadeusz Winkowski, founder of one of the most modern printing houses in the country.