EY Malta has announced that its Entrepreneur of the Year in Malta is Vassallo Group Chairman Nazzareno Vassallo.

The award identifies that under Mr Vassallo’s leadership, the company now employs over 1,700 people and has expanded into a number of segments, in fields that include construction, healthcare, IT, hospitality, real estate and catering.

He is the fourth Maltese businessman to receive the prestigious award. In previous years Alfred Pisani (2017), Angelo Xuereb (2018), and David Darmanin (2019) have also won it.

According to EY, the award is judged on an assessment criteria which includes such qualities as entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic business direction, sustainable values, and innovativeness.

Some benefits of winning the award are said to include brand awareness and recognition.

Depending on the situation with COVID-19, the winner is expected to head to Monaco in June to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award, an event that brings together national winners from more than 60 countries.