Two UT Business Alums Honored as Regional Entrepreneurs of the Year

KNOXVILLE, TN —Two University of Tennessee College of Business Administration alumni recently were selected as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year for 2008.

Robert Baron, chairman, president, CEO and founder of Baron Group of Companies, and Randy Boyd, president and CEO of Radio Systems Corp., were named the Entrepreneur of the Year in the Alabama/Georgia/Tennessee region.

As regional award winners, they are now in competition for the national awards, to be presented in November.     

Both Baron and Boyd received bachelor's degrees in business administration from UT in 1968 and 1979, respectively.

Considered the most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize the pioneers and innovators who excel at growing and sustaining market-leading businesses.

Twenty-two years ago, Ernst & Young created the Entrepreneur of the Year awards as a way to identify, honor and support outstanding business leaders. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world.

Entrepreneur of the Year regional winners were selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic, and community leaders. Over 50 submittals were narrowed down to 27 finalists in six categories. The finalists then were interviewed by a panel of judges comprised of past EOY award winners and successful business leaders. The judging criteria included a thorough assessment of recent financial performance; strategic direction and product or service innovation; company leadership including personal integrity, values, and key employee initiatives, and community involvement.

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About The University of Tennessee College of Business Administration

The mission of the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration in Knoxville, Tennessee, is to provide innovative leadership in management research education and practice. The College consistently breaks new ground with both its scholarship and award-winning, integrated curriculum that is taught within its undergraduate, graduate and nationally recognized executive education programs. The College is fully accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. For more information about the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration, visit http://bus.utk.edu