CANTON, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Uma Sharma, PhD of MMS Holdings was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2020 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award finalist. Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors entrepreneurial business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain successful businesses that transform our world. Uma was selected as one of 29 finalists by a panel of independent judges from a competitive pool of nominations.

Award winners will be announced through a special virtual event on Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m. EST and will join a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. This year, unstoppable entrepreneurs who have provided extraordinary support for their communities, employees and others during the COVID-19 crisis will also be recognized for their courage, resilience and ingenuity.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

“Since the day MMS began more than 14 years ago, I knew there was an opportunity to do things in a different way, to bring expert scientists, strong processes, and innovative methods together in a way that would positively impact lives globally, and I thank Entrepreneur Of The Year for recognizing this today,” said Dr. Sharma.

MMS Holdings is an award-winning, data and technologies focused CRO that supports the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries. Most recently, the company created a $1,000,000 grant offered in the form of data and related services to support the commercial development of a vaccine for approval in the United States and/or other global health authorities.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2021.

Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation.

In Michigan and Northwest Ohio, sponsors also include Citizens Bank, Donnelley Financial Solutions, Trion Solutions, Oswald Companies, Stanton Chase, and Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year^®
Entrepreneur Of The Year^® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY Private
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