After being named 2015 Australian Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year, Manny Stul, chairman and co-CEO of Moose Toys, has gone on to win the coveted EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 during a ceremony held at Monaco’s Salle des Etoilles.
Chosen from 55 country winners, Stul is the first Australian to ever win this award, making the acknowledgement all the more special.
“I am extremely honoured to receive this coveted award and humbled to accept it on behalf of the entire team at Moose Toys,” says Stul. “The level of competition from the top entrepreneurs around the world is inspiring, and to represent Australia gives me an immense sense of pride.
“We are a company that succeeds by focusing on innovation with integrity and a clear purpose to make children happy. This has allowed us to grow exponentially, while overcoming huge challenges. I’d like to thank EY on behalf of all the entrepreneurs who competed this week.”
Stul took over Moose Toys in 2000 and grew it from a company with 10 employees to the fourth largest toy company in Australia and, by sales, the sixth largest in the US. No mean feat after going through a product recall in 2007 that everyone said was impossible to survive.
“Manny won over the judges with his story of success from humble beginnings, and his ability to build a global consumer business that has been able to sustain its success over a 16-year period in a very competitive industry,” says Bryan Pearce, EY global leader―EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
“His focus on giving back through the Moose Foundation is also impressive and an increasingly important aspect for so many of our entrepreneurs who compete for this title each year.”
Moose Toys recently created the immensely popular Shopkins, the number one best-selling toy of 2015 in the US, and Pearce says the company’s success is testament to Stul’s work ethic and drive.
“Moose’s culture of innovation, creativity and tenacity is a reflection of its founder, Manny Stul, and the corporate values he has instilled.”
Stul runs Moose Toys with his director wife Jacqui Tobias and step-son Paul Solomon, who is the company’s co-CEO.
By Marion Gerritsen
