SINGAPORE -Dr Kar Wong, group managing director of Advanced Group of Companies, was named the overall winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year at an awards gala dinner at the Ritz Carlton this evening.

Dr Wong will represent Singapore at the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year at Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2015.

He will compete with more than 60 other country winners for the coveted world title.

Judging panel chairman Wong Ngit Liong, said: "Kar has displayed strong entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity in overcoming obstacles by rebounding from the threat of bankruptcy during the initial start-up phase and subsequently leading the Advanced Group of Companies through several crises."

EY - the accounting giant formerly known as Ernst & Young - also conferred awards for entrepreneurial excellence to Ms Susan Chong, chief executive of environmental packaging firm Greenpac, Mr Ong Tze Boon, group chief executive of environmental design solutions firm Ong & Ong, and Mr Alfred Chua, managing director of caterer The Wok People.

EY and Barclays also presented an honorary award, known as the EY-Barclays Family Business Award of Excellence, to luxury retailer BP de Silva Holdings.

BP de Silva director Mr Navin Amarasuriya said: "As the old Greek proverb goes: 'A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in', which serves so well for our philosophy on the family business."