Dr. Tan Siu Lin — Founder and Chairman, Luen Thai Group

Dr. Tan Siu Lin founded Luen Thai Group in 1965. Having weathered numerous ups and downs over the past half century, the Group stands strong today. Thanks to Dr. Tan’s leadership, perseverance and diligence, the company steadily evolved from a small shipping and trading business to the large-scale global conglomerate it is today.

A Self-Made Success

Dr. Tan Siu Lin was born in Quanzhou, Fujian in 1930. He moved to Manila, Philippines at the age of 18 to help run his father’s small textile shop while continuing his part-time study supported by his meagre salary. Two years later, with Dr. Tan’s strong business acumen, integrity, and passion, he garnered the trust of the local overseas Chinese and took the first step of his career to run an overseas remittance business. In 1961, crisis struck when a large fire destroyed most of his family businesses. Devastated, Dr. Tan’s father passed way aged merely 49. In the midst of his grief, Dr. Tan decided to move his family to Sabah, Malaysia. There he ran a rubber plantation and a small trading business.

In 1965, Dr. Tan, having gained the trust and support of his friends in Sabah, returned to Hong Kong to establish Luen Thai and shortly thereafter Luen Soon which were engaged in shipping and trading business. Towards the end of the 1960s, the economy became sluggish, and shareholders gradually lose faith. They withdrew from the business leaving Dr. Tan to persevere on his own and decided to merge Luen Soon into Luen Thai. Thanks to the incredible support from his family, friends and banks, Luen Thai gradually regained its footing. Dr. Tan continued to grow the business with his family which evolved to become the Luen Thai we know today.

With the motherland always in his heart, Dr. Tan returned to Quanzhou in the 1980s to set up a factory, and was part of the early group of patriotic overseas businessmen who responded to China’s open-door economic policy. In 2018, Dr. Tan was invited to be a member of a delegation from Hong Kong and Macau to visit Beijing and Shenzhen to mark the 40 th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up. His eldest son, Henry Tan, attended on his behalf, was honored to be received by President Xi Jinping.

Integrity, Trustworthiness, Dedication, and Diligence

Years of experience have taught Dr. Tan Siu Lin the value of sincerity, self-discipline, diligence to overcome shortcomings, and determination for success. It is no surprise, therefore, that “Integrity, Trustworthiness, Dedication, and Diligence” has become the motto of Luen Thai.

“Traditional Chinese culture believes that success depends on being at the right place, at the right time, and having the right social connections. I don’t doubt that my success was a result of these three factors coming together,” said Dr. Tan. “For me, being at the right place at the right time meant being observant and taking advantage of opportunities. The most important thing, however, are the relationships – to have the right social connections requires integrity and diligence. We must be sincere towards others, have self-discipline, be diligent to overcome shortcomings, and strive for success.”

Dr. Tan’s philosophy is embraced by all levels of staff at Luen Thai – a company that also considers care for the community as its foundational values.

Giving Back for a Brighter Future

Dr. Tan Siu Lin firmly believes in the importance of giving back to society, and has been involved in charity work as early as the 1970s. In the 1980s, he established Tan Siu Lin Foundations in Quanzhou, Hong Kong, Saipan, and Guam, through which he systematically launched a full list of charity programs to impact areas of need such as education, poverty alleviation, social welfare. Since then, Dr. Tan’s charitable work has steadily continued, and has benefited and established countless organizations including the Quanzhou Charity Federation and the Association of Hong Kong Quanzhou Charity Promotion. Dr. Tan was a board director of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals for many years, and has also served on the board of directors of many educational institutions including Huaqiao University, Jimei University, Quanzhou Normal University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Shaw College.

Dr. Tan and his family have been operating in the Western Pacific Region for half a century, and have established an excellent reputation and strong connections with local governments and communities. They have also regularly assisted Chinese in the region since the 1970s, especially on islands with no existing diplomatic relations or services with the Chinese government, in an effort to promote exchange, collaboration, and civil diplomacy. Dr. Tan currently serves as Honorary Consul of the Federated States of Micronesia in Hong Kong and actively promotes exchange between the islands, Mainland China, and Hong Kong.

Dr. Tan has always attached great importance to promoting cross-strait exchange, and is currently a Chief Consultant for the Hong Kong Association for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, and founder of the Cross-Strait Peaceful Development Federation. To advance the philosophies of Sun Yat-Sen and connect Chinese people from all across the globe, Dr. Tan set up the Sun Yat-Sen Education and Charity Foundation, the only foundation in Hong Kong named after Dr Sun; and also contributed to the establishment of and Hong Kong Baptist University’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Research Fund, to which he has been providing support on a regular basis.

Honors and Recognitions

Over the years, Dr. Tan Siu Lin has remained firmly committed to serving the community. He has held over 50 important posts in various local and overseas organizations. His contributions, generosity, and heart have led him to become an acclaimed entrepreneur and philanthropist celebrated by all levels of society.

In 2017, Dr. Tan was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and was also named an Honorary University Fellow by Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2018, he was recognized as an Honorary Fellow by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and in 2020, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Business Awards, as well as the Compassion Award from the Hong Kong & Macau Taiwanese Charity Fund.

In recognition of Dr. Tan’s ongoing efforts to give back to his hometown and his country, the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government conferred the Quanzhou Philanthropist Award on him in 2006. In 2008, he was awarded the Education Contribution Award by Peking University, the Fujian Charity Award by the Fujian Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, and a charity award by the China Philanthropy Times. In 2012, Dr. Tan was recognized as “Person of the Year for Chinese Cultural Heritage Protection” by the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and in 2013, he received the Distinguished Contribution Award from Peking University.

In 1986, the University of Guam conferred a Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa on Dr. Tan. In 2006, Dr. Tan was recognized by the US House of Representatives for his contributions to Guam.