LONDON, January 24 /PRNewswire/ -- CNBC Europe, has announced the shortlist of nominations for the European Business Leaders Awards (EBLA) 2008.

The Awards programme, which is presented by CNBC Europe and for the first time conducted in partnership with the Financial Times, is now in its fifth year and was created to identify and honour those CEOs who are making a difference through leadership and innovation in their industry sectors. The EBLA 2008 winners will be announced at a special gala dinner and ceremony in London on 13 March 2008.

The shortlist of nominations for the European Business Leaders Awards 2008 are:

European Business Leader of the Year (sponsored by BT) Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé Patrick Kron, Alstom Sergio Marchionne, Fiat European Business Leader of the Future Aditya Mittal, ArcelorMittal James Murdoch, BSkyB Jochen Zeitz, Puma European Business Leader of the Year (Global/Local) Nikesh Aurora, Google Inc. Ferdinando Beccalli, GE International Michael Sherwood, Goldman Sachs International Innovator of the Year Henning Kagermann, SAP Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia Michael Lynch, Autonomy Corporation Outstanding Leadership in Business Practices Jean-Pierre Garnier, GlaxoSmithKline Ben Verwaayen, BT Philip Yea, 3i Outstanding Leadership in Environmental Practices Gerard Kleisterlee, Philips Stuart Rose, Marks & Spencer Ignacio Sánchez Galán, Iberdrola Entrepreneur of the Year Charles Dunstone, Carphone Warehouse Alastair Lukies, Monitise Natalie Massenet, Net-A-Porter

The nominations for the Awards were selected by a panel of CEOs drawn from the top-ranked FT Europe 500 companies, who voted for executives who they believed were leaders making a significant impact in expanding global business in Europe.

The shortlist of nominations for each category were then chosen by a panel of judges that consisted of EBLA 2007 winners Tadashi Arashima (European Business Leader of the Year Global/Local), Guerrino De Luca (Innovator of the Year) and Alessandro Profumo, (European Business Leader of the Year) and Lionel Barber, Editor of the Financial Times, Professor Seán Meehan, Professor of Marketing and Change Management, IMD Lausanne and Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, The Atlantic Council and former editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe and Barbara Stelzner, VP and Head of News at CNBC Europe. The panel was chaired by Sir William Castell, Chairman of the Wellcome Trust and non-executive Director of BP and GE. Dossiers on each of the finalists were produced by the FT Research Centre.

Mick Buckley, President and CEO, CNBC Europe said, "This year's shortlist has highlighted an exceptional group of European leaders as recognised by their peers. I look forward to welcoming CEOs from across Europe to London and congratulating each of the category winners."

CNBC Europe will broadcast exclusive coverage of the event, including interviews with winners and finalists, on CNBC Europe on 16 March. Media partners for EBLA 2008 are CNBC European Business, FOCUS and TIME Magazine.

For more information visit http://www.ebla2008.com or contact: CNBC Europe Hugo Foulds +44(0)20-7653-9398 European Business Leaders Awards Beverley Mason +44(0)7809-194-949 Financial Times Emma Gilpin-Jacobs +44(0)20-7873-3883

For more information visit http://www.ebla2008.com or contact: CNBC Europe, Hugo Foulds, +44(0)20-7653-9398; European Business Leaders Awards, Beverley Mason, +44(0)7809-194-949; Financial Times, Emma Gilpin-Jacobs, +44(0)20-7873-3883