Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal, and Lionel Barber, editor, Financial Times, have tonight announced the winners of the inaugural FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards. These awards recognise businesses that have embraced calculated risk-taking, innovation and opportunism in challenging traditional business models in the face of the global financial uncertainty.

The awards were presented in five categories plus a special Lifetime Achievement Award and an FT Readers’ Award. The evening’s winners were:

•Driver of Change: Ryanair

•Corporate Responsibility: Selco

•Environment: Masdar

•Emerging Markets: Huawei

•Entrepreneurship: Google

Serial investor, businessman and philanthropist, Warren Buffet, was chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award for exhibiting boldness in leadership throughout the entirety of his illustrious career. He was identified as the outstanding candidate for his adherence to the value-investing philosophy, his bold acquisition strategies, his well-documented philanthropy and his considered personal frugality.

Winner of the FT Readers’ Award for the boldest company of 2008, voted on by readers of the Financial Times and FT.com was HCL Technologies. The shortlist for this award included Nintendo, Twitter, American Apparel and Santander.

The judges for the awards were:

•Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal

•Lionel Barber, editor, Financial Times

•Terry Smith, executive chairman, Collins Stewart

•Luke Johnson, chairman, Channel 4 Television

•Dan Bogler, managing editor, Financial Times

•Anne Méaux, president and founder, Image Sept

•Julian Birkinshaw, professor of strategic and international management, London Business School

Lionel Barber, editor, Financial Times, said: “We are proud to be announcing the winners of the very first Boldness in Business Awards and we wish to congratulate all of our entrants. All of the winners were selected for their extraordinary commitment to taking a bold and innovative approach to their decision-making and corporate strategies. Focusing on emerging markets, the environment, corporate responsibility, entrepreneurship and decisive or innovative strategy will continue to be success-defining areas in global business for the foreseeable future.”

Speaking at the award ceremony, Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal, said: “Boldness is all about taking calculated risks and exercising leadership. But that is not all. It needs courage, passion and conviction, not to mention a certain degree of brilliance and originality. It is this combination that has been demonstrated by all the winners of tonight’s awards.”

For further information, please contact:

Kristina Eriksson, Financial Times, +44 20 7873 4961 or kristina.eriksson@ft.com