The University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship has announced that the winner of the 2017 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership is business leader and author Verne Harnish.

Harnish is founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), with more than 12,000 members worldwide, and he chaired for 15 years EO’s premiere CEO program, the "Birthing of Giants" held at MIT, a program in which he still teaches today.

An expert in growing companies, Harnish writes a syndicated column, “Growth Guy,” and is a columnist for Fortune magazine. He’s the author of the bestselling books, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and Scaling Up, which won the 2015 International Book Award for Best General Business book.

“The award selection criteria focus on recognizing anyone who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding and practice of entrepreneurial leadership, which might include entrepreneurs, educators or consultants,” said Dan Freeman, founding director of Horn Entrepreneurship.

Horn Entrepreneurship’s Siegfried Award in Entrepreneurial Leadership was established by Robert L. Siegfried, CEO and founder of The Siegfried Group and chair of the advisory board for UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

“Verne exemplifies the idea of an entrepreneurial leader,” Siegfried said. “I’ve had the pleasure of learning from and working with Verne, and his contributions to the field of entrepreneurial leadership are so important. Verne helped me clarify the kind of leader I wanted to be, and he continues to do that for countless others every day. He is a powerful leader of leaders and the world is a much better place because of him. Thanks Verne!”

Harnish was selected to receive the award by a committee consisting of five entrepreneurs and three university professors. Freeman and Siegfried co-chaired the selection committee.

Harnish will receive the award, which includes a $10,000 honorarium, during a private celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

About Horn Entrepreneurship

Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.

About The Siegfried Group LLP

The Siegfried Group LLP (Siegfried) is a leading, national CPA firm that helps executives with effective leadership and successful execution, through leadership advisory and talent delivery services, to better ensure that clients are “Doing the Right Things, Right.”