Daisy is the fourth company Riley has established, and achieved revenues of £23.3 million for the year to March 2007.

Jan Gregory, Ernst & Young’s Manchester senior partner, comments: ‘The judges described Matthew as a serial entrepreneur at only 33. He has a real passion about what he is doing, has exploited a niche market with focused strategy and a strong proposition.’

Riley launched Daisy in 2001 after spotting a gap in the market for providing fixed-line communications to small and medium-sized enterprises. Exploiting technology obtained from BT Wholesale after deregulation, he built a company that grew from three employees working from Riley’s home to 120 staff. More recently Daisy has branched out into the reseller market and mobile communications.

‘I’d always dreamt of running a market-leading company that set a benchmark to others,’ says Riley, who made his first profit at the age of 11 clearing snow-covered paths on his street. ‘After working in the communications industry for more than 17 years, it really is fantastic to win an award that is held in such high regard.’

The other three finalists were senior executives from Yorkshire-based Flamingo Land theme park, Yorkshire-based catering firm Dine Catering, and Manchester-based mobile company Eazyfone.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises individuals aged 35 or under who are primarily responsible for the growth of a business.