Digicel Entrepreneur of the Year - Haiti Observer Blog

Denis O'Brien, Irish billionaire and owner of cellphone company, Digicel was the first private investor to penetrate Haiti, the poorest country in Western Hemisphere. He introduced Digicel into Haiti in 2006. There was no shortage of skeptics about this move made by him but six years later in 2012, Digicel turned out to be the largest private sector investor in Haiti with a total user base of 4.8 million.

The cellphone entrepreneur is a true visionary and when everyone looks at the gloomy side of Haiti, he says that there is not even one Haitian problem that cannot be fixed. He says that all it takes is implementing the right project skills at the right place. He is right! He revolutionized the cellphone industry in Haiti by making cellphones available at rates as low as $7 per unit and call rates are fixed to be as low as it is practically possible.

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The 2012 Digicel Entrepreneur of the Year went to Jean Lionel Pressoir. Mr. Pressoir is the current CEO of Lojistik SA Haiti Tours. The company Lojistik SA, was founded in 2004 and provides transportation for visitors. He is also radio host in Port-au-Prince. Jean Lionel Pressoir co-hosts the program Vision-Destination aired on Vision 2000.

The Digicel Entrepreneur of the year for 2012 was held on Tuesday, December 18 at the Hotel Karibe in Port-au-Prince. This year, the theme was "Building for our next". Mr. Jean Lionel Pressoir was the grand winner this year. He won in several categories such as education, tourism and culture.

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Digicel, an active partner with the government of Haiti (GOH), held its annual award presentation ceremony to recognize outstanding contributions and achievements of entrepreneurs. Eight awards were handed out at the event with 700 attendees, among them GOH officials and representatives of the private sector.

The top-award recipient, Haitian entrepreneur Lionel Pressoir, received awards in two categories. He won the coveted "Digicel Entrepreneur of the Year 2012" in addition to the "Digicel Education, Tourism, and Culture" award.

Pressoir won for his involvement in reviving the Haitian tourism industry. He started Lojistik SA to create tailored travel packages to incentivize travelers to come to Haiti. Before his involvement in the tourism industry, Pressoir successfully set up two apparel companies that hired 650 employees. In addition to his business activities, he established Foundation Destination Haiti to support non-government organizations helping in the country's reconstruction efforts.

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