SmartDraw.com CEO Paul Stannard Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2009 Award Finalist in San Diego

After 15 years and 15 million downloads, SmartDraw.com, maker of SmartDraw, the software that helps you work smarter by communicating visually, today announced that Paul Stannard, founder and CEO of SmartDraw.com, is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year®.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 7, 2009 -- SmartDraw.com, maker of SmartDraw, the software that helps you work smarter by communicating visually, today announced that Paul Stannard, founder and CEO of SmartDraw.com, is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year® 2009 Award in the San Diego program. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Stannard was selected as a finalist from hundreds of nominations by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 3, 2009 at the Hyatt La Jolla Regency.

"When I created SmartDraw.com 15 years ago, I wanted to create a software program that would empower any business person to communicate any idea visually," said Stannard. "Today, more than 15 million downloads later, we've created a new era in visual communications. It has been a wonderful journey for me so far, and I'm honored to be recognized."

SmartDraw helps businesses increase their bottom line by improving communication, refining operations, completing projects on time, and successfully implementing their plans. Whether it's a flowchart to explain a business process, a Gantt chart to show a project schedule or an organizational chart, SmartDraw is unique because it draws more than 40 different types of visuals for you, including timelines, maps, charts, decision trees and floor plans, resulting in presentation-quality visuals in just minutes. The company's customers include more than half of the members of the Fortune 500, more than 1,400 health systems, 2,000 K-12 schools and universities, and thousands of law firms, police departments and private enterprises of all sizes.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year awards program celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur of The Year national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 14, 2009. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

About SmartDraw.com
SmartDraw.com is the creator of SmartDraw, software that helps you work smarter by communicating visually. Because people are six times more likely to retain and understand information presented to them visually, SmartDraw helps businesses increase their bottom line by improving communication, refining operations, completing projects on time, and successfully implementing their plans. Whether it's a flowchart to explain a business process, a Gantt chart to show a project schedule or an organizational chart, SmartDraw is unique because it draws more than 40 different types of visuals for you, including timelines, maps, charts, decision trees and floor plans, resulting in presentation-quality visuals in just minutes. The company's customers include more than half of the members of the Fortune 500, 1,400 health systems, 2,000 K-12 schools and universities, and thousands of law firms, police departments and private enterprises of all sizes. In fact, SmartDraw is downloaded more than 3 million times each year. Founded in 1994, SmartDraw.com is a privately-held, San Diego, CA-based company and is part of the Working Smarter Network. For more information or to download a free trial version, please visit www.smartdraw.com.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards Program
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

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