TORONTO, Oct. 22 /CNW/ -- Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Open Text Corporation - an enterprise software company and leader in enterprise content management - is this year's Ontario Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winner.

"Tom Jenkins' exceptional vision distinguished him in the highly competitive digital sector. He radically changed the way we use the internet in business," says Colleen McMorrow, National and Ontario Director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. "Entrepreneurs like him drive economies and build communities. They make a difference by transforming ideas into reality."

After relying on high marks and scholarships to finance two master's degrees, Jenkins joined Open Text in 1994 as a director and became chairman in 1998. One of the first true internet companies, Open Text was founded in 1991. The company is now a digital technology giant with a $785.7 million revenue base and 3,400 employees.

In addition to leading this cutting-edge organization, Jenkins also works to push the wider digital media industry - and overall Canadian competitiveness - forward through a number of important avenues. He is chair of the federal Centre of Excellence's Canadian Digital Media Network. He is also an appointed member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Jenkins sits on the University of Waterloo Engineering Dean's Advisory Council, and is a director of the C.D. Howe Institute, the Canadian International Council and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

"Digital technology has made great advances in the last 20 years," says McMorrow. "Entrepreneurs like Tom Jenkins contribute to the progress with their exceptional vision and ideas. His relentless drive and focus will inspire other entrepreneurs to push technology further in the years to come."

Category winners of the Ontario Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year
2009 Awards:
Information technology
Tom Jenkins
Open Text Corporation / Waterloo
opentext.com
Developer of enterprise content management software, used by corporations
and government agencies in 114 countries.
Business-to-business products and services
Oliver Bock, Gabrielle Chevalier, Mark Smith
Solutions 2 GO Inc. / Mississauga
solutions2go.ca
Video game distributor.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie, Ben Varadi
Spin Master Ltd.