Paris Presents CEO Patrick O’Brien named Midwest EY Entrepreneur of the Year

GURNEE, Ill. – Patrick O’Brien, CEO of beauty and personal care products company Paris Presents, has been named the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods category in the Midwest.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award program. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

O’Brien was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a black-tie gala at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in Chicago on June 15.

“I am truly humbled by this honor and am extraordinarily proud of the smart, fearless and inspirational team at Paris Presents,” O’Brien said. “My colleagues are always looking for new ways to drive the business forward – leveraging new marketing channels such as YouTube, capitalizing on consumer insights and bringing our retail relationships to the next level – enabling strong global growth and product innovation in the beauty and personal care categories.  I wouldn’t be here without them.” 

Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and discipline have propelled their companies’ success, invigorated their industries and benefited their communities. Now in its 30th year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Robert Unanue of Goya Foods and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent U.S. national winners include Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani; and 2015 winners Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks.

As a Midwest award winner, O’Brien is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 19. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.  The U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Award winner will then have the opportunity to compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Monaco in  June 2017.

Paris Presents is the parent company behind flagship brands including Real Techniques, EcoTools and Body Benefits by Body Image with both domestic and international distribution. Paris Presents uses a 360-degree, broad-based approach to developing, distributing and supporting innovative brands by leveraging four key pillars: consumer insights, innovation and product design, retail relationships and supply chain excellence.