Rubens Menin of MRV Engenharia from Brazil named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2018

Rubens Menin, Chairman of Brazil-based MRV Engenharia e Participações S.A., was this evening named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2018 at an awards ceremony held in Monaco’s Salle des Etoiles. Rubens was picked from among 761 program participants that included the 56 country winners from 46 countries and regions vying for the title here in Monaco. Rubens becomes the first ever EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year winner from South America.

Rubens, 62, founded MRV, a homebuilder and real estate company, in 1979 and has grown it into Latin America’s largest real estate developer by units sold and Brazil’s leading low-income housing builder. In 2017, MRV recorded net operating revenue amounting to US$1.44b with a net income of US$197m. These figures represent substantial growth since it was listed on B3 [formerly BM&FBOVESPA] in 2007, when net revenue amounted to US$105m and net income totaled US$13m. MRV employs more than 24,000 people, operates in 150 cities and has built some 300,000 properties. In these cities, 1 in 200 people lives in a property built by MRV.

Jim Nixon, Chairman and CEO of Nixon Energy Investments and Chair of the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year judging panel, says:

“The judging panel is honored to award Rubens this year’s title and to recognize the first EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year from South America. The judging panel was struck by his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and his purpose of seeking a fairer and more egalitarian society.”

Rubens Menin, Chairman, MRV Engenharia e Participações S.A., says:

“Throughout my life, I have pursued the purpose of bringing the dignity of homeownership to people for whom this is an unobtainable dream. I am very proud to be recognized in this way but the work does not stop here. The construction industry is well positioned to further enact positive civil impact. I believe economic empowerment is not just about wealth generation but also social development and MRV’s legacy will continue for generations to come.”