Founder and Chairman of Cobra Beer
to give key note address

The entrepreneur and life peer who co-founded Cobra Beer will address islanders at one of Jersey’s most prestigious awards evenings.

Karan Faridoon Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria CBE DL has been confirmed as the key note speaker for next month’s Jersey Enterprise Awards.

‘We always aim to provide high profile and inspiring speakers for our annual event,’ said Senator Alan Maclean, Minister for Economic Development. ‘Thanks to the generous sponsorship of this year’s key note speaker by the Garenne Group, we have once again been able to secure a fantastic speaker who is a successful entrepreneur in his own right.

The Awards, coordinated by Jersey Enterprise, are designed to recognise the achievements of local businesses, excellence in management and the contribution individuals and organisations make to the island. This year two further awards have been added to enable organisations and individuals to showcase their environmental credentials and management skills.

The Awards would not be possible without the loyal support of long standing sponsors Play.com, Natwest, Jersey Telecom, Garenne Group, Indigo Lighthouse, Guiton Group, Altis Partners and BPP Professional Education plus new sponsors, Jersey Electricity Company and Condor Ferries.

Andy Hall, Chief Executive of the Garenne Group, said he was looking forward to the evening: ‘Lord Bilimoria is an inspirational speaker with a wealth of experience and knowledge. We’re all absolutely delighted that he has accepted our invitation to speak at the Jersey Enterprise Awards evening, which promises to be a lively and thought provoking event.’ He added: ‘He is a good motivator who can really engage the audience, adding energy and impact.’

Lord Bilimoria founded Cobra Beer in 1989 with the aim of creating a less gassy lager, more suitable for drinking with curry and other foods. It is now exported to over 45 countries. The brand has a current retail value turnover of £178 million, is sold in nearly 6,000 Indian restaurants and is available to more than 6,000 bars, pubs, clubs, supermarkets and off-licences across the UK. The company diversified into wine in 1999.

In 2009 Cobra Beer entered into a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, the largest family owned brewer in the world. Cobra Beer was awarded 19 Gold Medals at the 2008 Monde Selection, Vienna, World Selection of Quality Awards – including the International High Quality Trophy.

Lord Bilimoria was born in Hyderabad, India, of Parsi Zoroastrian descent (see note 1). He received the Bachelor of Commerce degree from Osmania University; (Indian Institute of Management and Commerce, Hyderabad) in 1981. After working as a chartered accountant for Ernst & Young, he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge.

In 2005, he became Chancellor of Thames Valley University – the United Kingdom’s youngest university chancellor at the time - and in 2006 he was chosen as a cross-bench life peer with the title Baron Bilimoria, of Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, becoming the first-ever Parsi in the House of Lords.

The Jersey Enterprise Awards now in their eighth year attract an audience of around 800 people, drawn from all sectors and sizes of local businesses, including politicians, the media, award judges and sponsors.

The gala night at which the awards will be presented is planned for 26th February 2010 and will be staged in the Queens Hall, Fort Regent. Guests on the night will be able to enjoy a pre-dinner aperitif thanks to the generosity of Rothschild.