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Business Premises - The old Coach House

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee

25th May 2009

We are indebted to The Irish Times, Monday, May 25, 2009 for this item announcing Kentz CEO Dr Hugh O’Donnell’s nomination for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year in Ireland.

Dr O’Donnell has provided the vision and drive for Corporate Learning Consultants’ work within Kentz. We’re crossing everything for a successful outcome on October 22, 2009.

Dr Hugh O’Donnell (left) pictured at a recent learning and development event with Donal O’Neill Kentz Group Talent Development Manager.

Dr Hugh O’Donnell (left) pictured at a recent learning and development event with Donal O’Neill Kentz Group Talent Development Manager.

CATEGORY: International : The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, now in its 12th year, aims to recognise and acclaim Ireland’s entrepreneurs. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is run in association with The Irish Times, RTÉ, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland, Trinity Business School and Newstalk. Eight companies have been chosen in each of the three categories: international, industry and Emerging. Next week will feature the next four in the International category. The winner will be announced at a televised awards ceremony on Thursday, October 22nd.

Nominee: Hugh O'Donnell. Kentz

SINCE 2000 Hugh O’Donnell has led Kentz, a global engineering specialist solutions provider, which serves a blue chip client base primarily in the oil and gas, petrochemical and mining and metals sectors. He has been instrumental in building Kentz in to the global business it is today, with a backlog of over $1 billion (€1.4 billion) and a bidding pipeline for new projects of $2.15 billion.

In 2008 O’Donnell led Kentz through a major milestone in the company’s history when it listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, raising approximately £63.7 million (€72.4 million). From relatively humble beginnings as an electrical contractor founded in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Kentz has developed into a truly international company with operations in 23 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait in the Middle East, Northern Alberta, Canada, North West Australia, Sakhalin Island in Far East Russia, Mozambique off the coast of Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

The Irish roots still run deep in the management and culture of the company which employs over 10,500 people across 35 nationalities. In the year ending December 2008 the company generated revenues of $643.4 million and profit before tax of $40.7 million – a position of financial strength, says O’Donnell, that gives management great confidence to ride out the current economic downturn and for a very bright future.

Product /Service

Kentz’s three main business lines are: specialist engineering, procurement and construction (EPC); construction; and technical support services. It has a proven track record of delivering mechanical, electrical, controls and instrumentation engineering, construction and management services in some of the most remote locations on earth.

Customer

Its clients include some of the largest companies in the world, such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, Rio Tinto, Fluor, Saudi Aramco, Qatar Petroleum and Linde.
Describe your progression from start-up to current status?

I joined Kentz as a project engineer in 1991 hoping to work my way back home having been in South Africa for four years. It didn’t work out that way – I set up mechanical and maintenance businesses for Kentz there before being appointed general manager then managing director of Kentz Southern Africa.

I then went on to become group chief executive in 2000.

What are the biggest challenges you face now?

The biggest challenges right now are overwhelmingly factors external to our business: global economic turbulence, the oil price and a slowdown in activity in the sector. Fortunately, our breadth of clients and diversity of operations along with our financial strength positions us strongly to ride out the current economic downturn and emerge stronger than ever.

What is your biggest business achievement?

Leading Kentz through the IPO process, during very volatile markets, has been my biggest achievement at Kentz.

Despite ongoing uncertainty in the global equity markets there was significant interest and demand from investors. The IPO was particularly important for Kentz as it allowed for the management group to take a substantial shareholding and be part of the future growth of the company.