CEO Awards 2008

European CEO’s award selection panel has used a wide range of criteria to inform its decision over the 2008 awards, lending the critical eye of a collective 170 years of business journalism to the exhaustive information gathered by the award body’s research team.

Organisations from across Europe – and from across the world – have been recognised, all from diverse and varied industry sectors, including finance, law, automotive fleet services and business travel and tourism. The one thing that unites them all is that they have achieved the top levels of service in their areas of expertise.

Some of the more important factors taken into consideration by the panel were as follows:

• Innovation and originality
• Project management ability
• Keeping ahead of the competition
• Market leadership and geographic spread
• Proof of development and continued progression
• Positive media coverage
• High level of transparency and good governance

There were various sectors which European CEO regarded as essential to the business world. An obvious one was tax. It seemed that in this field, excellence was almost a three horse race with PricewaterhouseCoopers gaining recognition in Luxembourg, Cyprus, India and Switzerland and Ernst & Young and Deloitte not far behind.

It goes without saying that for every company, winning the award is a success story. With such steep competition in every sector, it’s a real accolade being recognised for your achievements. However, there are some companies for whom the competition has been overwhelming. Take South Korean motorcar company, Hyundai for instance. The company has made substantial efforts to re-establish their target market, going from a signifier of the middle-aged to now targeting the market which Vauxhall Corsas and VW Polos command. Their sales figures and market presence stand as a tribute to a company which is both flexible and focused.

Elsewhere, companies which were originally set up to target a specific sector are being honoured for becoming the authority and hugely successful within their niche. WH Law began as a one-woman-outfit and has now grown into 50 law professionals focusing on internet law. Similarly, Norwegian firm Vogt & Wiig have been recognised for their contribution to maritime law.


And the winners are:

• Best Tax Team of the Year – Belgium
Deloitte
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Luxembourg
PricewaterhouseCoopers S.A.R.L.
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Russia
Ernst & Young Russia
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Ukraine
Ernst & Young Ukraine
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Cyprus
PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Best International Tax Team of the Year – Italy
TLS – Associazione Professionale di Avvocati e Commercialisti
• Best Tax Planning Team of the Year – India
PricewaterhouseCoopers India
• Best Tax Planning Team of the Year – Switzerland
PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland
• Best Business Tax Advisory of the Year – Italy
Studio Tributario e Societario Deloitte network
• Best Transfer Pricing Team of the Year – Italy
Studio Tributario e Societario Deloitte network
• Best Dispute Resolution Team of the Year – Italy
Studio Legale Irti
• Best Corporate and Commercial Team – Cyprus
Areti Charidemou & Associates
• Best Corporate and Commercial Team – Bahamas
Graham Thompson & Co.
• Best Foreign Exchange Broker of the Year
FxPro.com/EuroOrient Securities and Financial Services Ltd.
• Best Capital Markets Team of the Year – Luxembourg
Wildgen, Partners in Law
• Best Banking and Finance Team of the Year – Switzerland
Schellenberg Wittmer
• Best Transfer Pricing Team of the Year – India
BMR
• Best Shipping and Maritime Law Firm of the Year – Norway
Vogt & Wiig
• Best Gaming Law Team of the Year – Malta
W H Law Malta
• Inward Investment Team of the Year – Europe
InvestBulgaria Agency
• Regional Investment Team of the Year – Europe
Flanders Investment & Trade
• Fleet Management Team of the Year – Europe
Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH Fleet & Remarketing
• Tourist Board of the Year
South African Tourism
• Convention Centre of the Year
Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
• Regional Tourism Bureau of the Year
Cape Town Routes Unlimited
• World’s Best Business Hotel
lebua at State Tower
• Best Banking & Finance Team of the Year – Cyprus
Chryssafinis & Polyviou
• Public Certified Accountant of the Year - Southern Europe
RSM Malta
• Licensing Team of The Year 2008 - Southern Europe
RSM Malta
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Norway
Ernst & Young
• Best Real Estate Team of the Year – Norway
Wikborg Rein
• Best M&A Team of the Year 2008 – Cyprus
Chrysses Demetriades & Co.
• Best Energy Trade Law Team of the Year – Germany
Kermel & Scholtka
• Best Insolvency Administration Team of the Year – Germany
Metzeler Van Betteray
• Best Corporate & M&A Team of the Year – Iceland
BBA Legal
• Best Intellectual Property Law Team of the Year – Greece
Lykourezos Law Offices
• Best Banking & Finance Team of the Year – Bulgaria
Kambourov & Partners
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Netherlands
KPMG
• Best Intellectual Property Law Team of the Year – South Africa
DM Kisch Inc.
• Best Corporate & Commercial Law Team of the Year – Panama
Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega
• Best Transfer Pricing Team of the Year – Finland
PricewaterhouseCoopers Finland
• Best International Tax Team of the Year – Finland
Cartren & Snellman
• Best Legal Team of the Year – Finland
Borenius & Kempinnen
• Best Corporate & M&A Team of the Year – Turkey
Pekin & Bayar Law Firm
• Best Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year – Switzerland
Wenger & Vieli
• Best Corporate Team of the Year – Liechtenstein
Muller & Partner
• Best Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year – Slovenia
Miro Senica & Odvertniki
• Best Tax Team of the Year – Chile
Ernst & Young
• Best Capital Markets Team of the Year – Italy
Chiomenti
• Best Banking & Finance Team of the Year – Italy
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
• Best Competition Team of the Year – Italy
Gianni Origini Grippo & Partners
• Best Corporate Team of the Year – Ukraine
Sayenko Kharenko

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