Press release

20 Oct. 2023 Montréal, CA

CEO of SACO Technologies Inc. named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Québec

Fred Jalbout recognized for his visionary leadership, innovation and dedication to fostering creativity

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Lina Sakkal

EY Canada Senior Coordinator, Public Relations

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Fred Jalbout recognized for his visionary leadership, innovation and dedication to fostering creativity

Fred Jalbout, Executive Chairman and CEO of SACO Technologies Inc. — developers and suppliers of industry-leading solid-state LED lighting and media solutions — is this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Québec Overall Award winner. Jalbout was recognized alongside eight other entrepreneurs at last night’s celebration, hosted in Montreal.

“Under Fred's leadership, the organization’s corporate vision, customer-centric approach and commitment to innovation, have firmly established SACO as a global industry leader,” shares Luc Charbonneau, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Québec Program Co-Director. “Beyond their cutting-edge technology, the company demonstrates exceptional adaptability in today's ever-changing landscape by offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services tailored to diverse market segments."

Haris Syed, Haniya Syed, and Minal Syed accepting award on behalf of their parents: Aisha Yang and Musharaf Syed.

In recent years, SACO has applied its extensive research and development (R&D) expertise to evolve from a custom technology R&D entity into a prominent digital media company. Through significant investments in cutting-edge technology and services for lighting and video solutions, SACO rapidly introduced innovative concepts and technologies based on its scalable and replicable core technology, executing iconic projects worldwide, including breaking the world record for largest light and sound show on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and world's the largest LED screen, the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas.

The company houses a dedicated front-end architectural design and engineering team focused on innovative parametric toolsets. This allows SACO to engage in projects during early stages, influencing the design and integration of digital media solutions and fostering creative collaboration with clients. SACO has emerged as a valuable resource for artists, designers and architects, who often see their pre-design drawings seamlessly integrated into architectural project plans and proposals.

“Fred's visionary leadership propels SACO's growth by emphasizing their unique capacity for end-to-end solutions in Canada and globally, fostering a strong company culture, inclusive teamwork and a shared path to success,” says Daniel Baer, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Québec Program Co-Director. “We're thrilled to celebrate SACO and the outstanding winners from various industries, who are all excelling in human-centric business approaches and delivering enduring value to stakeholders. We couldn't be prouder to welcome them into our growing entrepreneurship network.”

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Québec Award winners:

Joël Roussin | Groupe Boiseries Raymond

Serge Harnois | Harnois Énergies

Vincent Chiara | Groupe Mach Inc.

Eugene Joannides and Henri-Charles Machalani | Mistplay

Nick Martire and Willa Martire | norda™

Steven Kramer | WorkJam Inc.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Québec Emerging Entrepreneur Special Citation recipients:

Sam Assaf and Vita Scalia | L’INTERVALLE

What’s next?

As the Québec region’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023, Jalbout will compete with winners from the Pacific, Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic regions for the national honour of Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023, which will be presented at a celebration on November 30, 2023 in Toronto. In June 2024, Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 will then move to the world stage to compete with more than 50 other country recipients for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The YearTM hosted in Monaco.

More information

Follow @EYCanada and #EOYQuebec on X for the latest event updates. Visit ey.com/ca/EOY for more program details and a complete list of finalists and celebration dates in other regions.

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About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program shines a spotlight on entrepreneurs across Canada who master the artful balance of passion, determination, character and skill to create businesses that address the most complex challenges and build a better working world. By joining the program, you’ll have the opportunity to celebrate success with your team, inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and gain access to an exclusive global network of program participants that help to build connections, fuel success and navigate long-term growth.

The 2023 Québec independent judging panel comprises Andreea Crisan, President and CEO, Andy Corp.; Martin Thériault, Founder, CEO and Chairman, Previan; Jean-Francois Côté, President and CEO, Sharethrough; Madeleine Paquin, President and CEO, Logistec; Isabelle Côté, CEO, Coffrages Synergy Formwork; and Christian Fabi, Partner, Novacap.

This year's program national sponsors are TSX Inc., Air Canada and Hillberg & Berk.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP