RSK Group chairman Dr Alan Ryder was declared Ernst & Young Business Services Entrepreneur Of The Year (Northern Region) at a high-profile awards ceremony at the Manchester Hilton hotel last week.

Co-sponsored by the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Mail on Sunday, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year competition, now in its tenth year in the UK and operating in 50 countries worldwide, is widely regarded as the most prestigious business award of its kind.

The judges hailed Alan’s stewardship of RSK Group’s remarkable expansion strategy, which, since December 2006, has seen an increase in staff numbers by a dramatic 156% to 950, a doubling of its turnover potential through ten strategic acquisitions and the start-up of six new companies. RSK Group is now the UK’s largest privately owned environmental consultancy and one of the fastest growing companies of its kind in Europe.

The judges were also impressed with the company’s track record of nurturing talent and furthering the careers of its workforce, something that has resulted in a noteworthy culture of dedication and loyalty, and a staff turnover rate well below the industry average.

“I am delighted and surprised to have won this award and I’d like to thank all the people at RSK who have made this possible,” said Alan.

“We attract some of the most talented consultants around and it has been a pleasure to in some way help them realise their potential. Our philosophy has always been to back good people and show trust in them; this has been the cornerstone of RSK’s success.

And there’s so much more to come. Over the next year we will really start realise our true business potential, as we consolidate the skills of all the companies that have joined us in the past year.

We’re a very ambitious company, so it is fantastic to receive such noteworthy recognition that we’re headed in the right direction.”

Winning the award will significantly raise RSK Group’s profile across a multitude of sectors, including the financial world.

Alan will now go on to compete in the UK finals held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on 6 October.

Notes for editors

For more information or to set up an interview contact Neil Jaques (njaques@rsk.co.uk, 0141 332 8440/07917 425212)

About RSK Group

RSK Group is one of Europe's fastest growing multi-discilpinary environmental consultancies with 950 staff across 46 strategic locations in the UK, Europe, the Gulf and Caspian regions. RSK offers clients a one-stop shop for environmental services and a peerless dedication to best practice (RSK remains one of the few companies of its kind to have achieved certification to the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards for quality, environmental and health and safety management). www.rsk.co.uk

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognises the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognising them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries. EOY 2008 is co-sponsored by the London Stock Exchange and The Financial mail on Sunday.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 130,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve potential.