Tan started his career in 1995 at Keppel Corporation's treasury division, where he traded proprietary Asian equities and fixed income.
[3] Between 2016[4] and 2023, Tan served as the Asia-Pacific CEO of Trafigura, a Global Fortune 500 company,[5] and the first Asian to hold this position.
[7] In May 2020, he was appointed to join the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) set up under the Future Economy Council (FEC)/Prime Minister’s Office.
The government-led taskforce consisted of key industry representatives to review how Singapore can build new sources of dynamism and stay economically resilient in a post-COVID-19 world.
[8] Tan co-led the Emerging Stronger Taskforce's Alliance for Action on Supply Chain Digitalisation and EduTech, and is also a member of the Sustainability working group.
[11] He is board member of JTC where he is Chairman of Finance and Investment Committee;Singapore Press Holdings; board member of Azendian Solutions, an AI, Data Science and Operations Technology company evolving sustainability solutions in the built environment.
The book provides a peek into how the world could morph into a new multi-polar order where Asia plays a more formal and critical role.
[32] Tan received a gold medal award from the Community Chest on behalf of Trafigura Foundation at the Istana on 9 October 2019.
The Donaldson Fellows Program honors alumni from all sectors and across the globe who share a dedication to solving complex problems and pursuing positive change in the world.
[34] Some of the social initiatives that Tan has been involved with include: Setting up the Premmies Fund with the KK Women's and Children's Hospital to help parents with premature babies cope with the financial burden;[35] Working with ComChest and NCSS to pilot a quarterly donor engagement series for high net worth individuals looking to make a social impact.
[38] Tan came from a humble background, started life with his parents and two siblings in a one-room apartment in Toa Payoh.