FILA Korea Ltd. and FILA Global chairman and CEO Gene Yoon won the sixth Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, or EOY, organizers said on Friday.

The award is created to pioneer outstanding leaders of business whose strength and leadership inspire world.

Out of six EOY awardees, Yoon won this year’s EOY Master’s Award in recognition of his excellence in mergers and acquisitions he showed in merging the global sports brand FILA, Ernst & Young Hanyoung said.

In 2011, Yoon also succeeded in acquiring former U.S. golf equipment and apparel firm, Titleist.

First created by the U.S.-based accounting firm in 1986, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year has expanded internationally since 1993, spanning more than 140 cities in 50 countries.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)