Mroz Honored to be Named Finalist in the Southwest Area North Region; Represents Efforts of All SouthPeak Employees
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: SOPK), one of the fastest growing videogame publishers, today announced that President and CEO Melanie Mroz is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2009 Award in the Southwest Area North region.
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. Mroz was selected as a finalist from nearly 72 nominations by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special black tie event on June 27, 2009 at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas.
“It’s an honor to be selected as a finalist for a program as prestigious as the Entrepreneur of the Year award,” said Melanie Mroz, President and CEO of SouthPeak. “I’m humbled Ernst and Young has recognized me for my efforts, but I am also extremely proud to accept the nomination on behalf of everyone at SouthPeak Interactive. This recognition represents our entire firm’s commitment to producing some of the highest quality games available, while tirelessly working to strengthen our business model and successfully expanding our reach to become a truly international influence in the gaming industry.”
Mroz has more than 20 years in sales, retail marketing, and management experience in the interactive entertainment industry. Today, Mroz oversees a staff of more than 60 videogame professionals among SouthPeak’s offices in Midlothian, Virginia; Grapevine, Texas; and Leicester, England.
Mroz’s nomination comes on the heels of SouthPeak’s successful demonstrations at this year’s recent E3 Expo in Los Angeles, where many of its upcoming titles received critical acclaim. Topping out the list, SouthPeak’s Raven Squad™ and Roogoo™ Twisted Towers won “Best Strategy Game” and “Best Puzzle Game,” respectively, at this year’s E3 2009 by 411mania.com.
SouthPeak’s broad assortment of games is available on all current hardware platforms, as well as the PC. The Company differentiates itself from many of the larger game development companies, with their highly tuned independent out-sourcing model, allowing them to use cost-efficient, external third party developers and maintain flexible expenditure levels during the recession. SouthPeak's diverse game library appeals to a variety of consumer demographics, from casual players to hardcore game enthusiasts.
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year and has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 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.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur of the Year awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors. The Southwest Area North region sponsors include First United Bank & Trust, Smith, Frank & Partners, Stagen, D CEO Magazine, Fort Worth Business Press and the Journal Record.
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.
About SouthPeak Interactive Corporation
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms including: PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PC. SouthPeak's games cover all major genres including action/adventure, role playing, racing, puzzle strategy, fighting and combat. SouthPeak's products are sold in retail outlets in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. SouthPeak is headquartered in Midlothian, Virginia, and has offices in Grapevine, Texas and Leicester, England.
For a comprehensive investor relations portal complete with fact sheets, presentations, interviews and video (when available), please navigate to: www.trilogy-capital.com/autoir/sopk_autoir.html
For additional information, please visit SouthPeak’s corporate website: www.southpeakgames.com
This release contains “forward-looking” statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These are statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “intends,” “plans,” “should,” “seeks,” and similar expressions. This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, SouthPeak’s expectations and assumptions concerning future financial performance. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described in SouthPeak’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Company Contact:
SouthPeak Games
Scott Silverman
516-318-4978
ssilverman@southpeakgames.com
or
Financial
Communications Contact:
Trilogy Capital Partners
Darren
Minton, Vice President
Toll-free: 800-592-6067
info@trilogy-capital.com