Peter Harris, MD of specialist insurer CBL, has been named EY entrepreneur of the year for New Zealand.

“[Mr Harris] has built a brand with more than 500 employees in eight offices, spread across 25 countries,” EY says.

He led a successful initial public offering in 2015, followed by listing on both the New Zealand sharemarket and Australian Securities Exchange, and in June this year the company entered the S&P/NZX 50 Index.

Mr Harris will compete against more than 60 national winners for the world entrepreneur of the year title in Monte Carlo next June.