Dr. Ng Gim Choo​

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 - Education

Dr. Ng Gim Choo started her career as an auditor. When her husband was posted to London in the 1980s, she gave up a flourishing career and became a housewife. Seeing how much her daughter enjoyed attending school in London, Dr. Ng became a parent volunteer. She discovered an education philosophy that differed greatly from that of Singapore. Learning was joyful, not stressful and teachers respected children. Motivated to pioneer a child-centered, inquiry-based educational philosophy in Singapore, Dr. Ng set up EtonHouse in 1995. EtonHouse has since grown into a multi-brand global education group with over 100 schools in 9 countries and over 25,000 students from infant care to high school.

Dr. Ng has received many awards for her significant contributions toward raising new standards of excellence in international education. These include Freedom of City of London (2009), Honorary Citizen of Suzhou Award (2011), EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award - Education (2019), Forbes’ Asia Power Businesswomen (2021), Her World Woman of the Year (2022), inclusion in Tatler's Asia’s Most Influential (2022) and Forbes 50 Over 50: Asia (2023) lists, being honored as one of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Women Leaders (2024) and the Education Leaders Forum Fellowship – Lifetime Achievement Award (2026) in recognition of her outstanding contributions to education leadership.

After handing the reins to her son Mr. Ng Yi-Xian, Dr. Ng now devotes her time to philanthropic efforts through the EtonHouse Community Fund, an institution of public character (IPC) charity organization founded in 2015. A firm believer in lifelong learning, she earned her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation from New York University at the age of 72, further exemplifying her dedication to education.