Brazil exec named entrepreneur of the year
Executive Rubens Menin, founder and administrative board chair of MRV Engenharia, Latin America’s biggest construction company, was elected entrepreneur of the year by the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year. The event took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco, from June 13 to 17, and gathered 46 selected entrepreneurs from the countries where the award ceremony has been held.
Launched in the US, the program EY World Entrepreneur of the Year covers 60 countries and over 145 cities worldwide. More than 2,500 entrepreneurs have been awarded in the course of its existence.
Rubens Menin was the first South American to win the title since 1986, when the award was created. The decision to honor him was made by an independent panel of judges from across the world, who scrutinized his affordable housing projects and educational initiatives. Seven items allowed Rubens Menin and MRV Engenharia to stand out in 2017. Among the criteria considered are entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, innovation, global impact, personal integrity, and influence.
“We seek to associate the quality of our work with social and environmental development. I think this proved decisive for us to win the award. Our projects include growing trees, the construction of nurseries, and other conditions that bring quality to future residents,” said Menin, while listing the reasons he believed earned him the title.
Rubens created the MRV Institute, dedicating one percent of the company’s net yearly profit to support educational projects. The three-year-old institute has 1,900 volunteers working in the program, and a total of 219 thousand children and adolescents benefiting from the plan.
