Edward McCloskey, Founder and Executive Chairman of WaterWipes, and owner of Boyne Valley Group, will represent Ireland at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2026, taking place in Monaco from 26–29 May.
Edward was named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland 2025, securing both the overall and international titles, and now joins an elite group of entrepreneurs from 47 countries and regions competing on a global stage.
The EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme brings together the world’s leading entrepreneurs behind high-growth, high-impact businesses, and recognises those who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, purpose‑driven leadership, innovation and long‑term value creation. The overall world winner will be announced at a black‑tie awards ceremony in Monaco during the four‑day programme.
Edward McCloskey, said: “It is a great honour to represent Ireland at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards. The programme brings together an extraordinary group of entrepreneurs from across the globe, and the opportunity to connect with peers who are building, scaling and transforming businesses internationally is incredibly valuable. Entrepreneurship is about long‑term thinking, resilience and continuous innovation, and I’m proud to be representing Ireland and Irish enterprise on this global stage.”
Founded in 2009, WaterWipes has grown from an Irish start‑up into a global FMCG brand, now sold in more than 50 countries and manufacturing approximately three million packs per week from two state‑of‑the‑art cleanroom facilities in Drogheda. The brand has transformed the baby wipes category internationally through its proposition centred on its 99.9% water formulation.
In parallel, Edward leads Boyne Valley Group, a portfolio of well‑known household brands including McDonnell’s, Chivers, Erin Soups, Don Carlos and Kinetica Sports Nutrition, with significant manufacturing, logistics and commercial operations based in Ireland.
Roger Wallace, Head of Assurance & EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland, said: “The EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme showcases the very best of global entrepreneurship, and over many years Irish entrepreneurs have competed at the very highest level on this stage. Edward has built two outstanding Irish businesses with global reach, rooted in innovation, quality and long‑term value creation. On behalf of EY Ireland and the entire Entrepreneur Of The Year community, we wish Edward every success in Monaco and beyond.”
A wide variety of industries and sectors are represented among the 2026 finalists at this year’s awards including healthcare, education, retail, construction and technology. Other companies competing include: NEURA Robotics (Germany), Open Farm (Canada), ILF Consulting Engineers (Austria), TK Group (Hong Kong) and Kura Sushi (Japan).
For further information on the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme, visit: www.ey.com/en_gl/weoy
