Tan Hooi Ling
Tan Hooi Ling | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Alma mater | University of Bath (BEng), Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and COO of Grab Holdings Inc. |
Tan Hooi Ling () is a prominent Singaporean entrepreneur recognized primarily as the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Grab Holdings Inc., a leading ride-hailing enterprise based in Singapore. Prior to establishing Grab alongside Anthony Tan during their tenure at Harvard Business School, she gained experience as a business analyst at McKinsey & Company.
Early life
Tan was born into a middle-income Malaysian Chinese household in Kuala Lumpur, where she grew up as the younger of two siblings. Her father worked as a civil engineer, while her mother was employed as a remisier. She completed her early education at public schools in Petaling Jaya before pursuing university studies in the United Kingdom.
She obtained her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bath. Following graduation, Tan joined McKinsey’s Malaysian office, which later supported her enrollment in an MBA program at Harvard Business School. It was there she met Anthony Tan, with whom she would co-found Grab. The duo moved to Singapore in 2014 to expand the company’s operations.
Education
Tan earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bath in 2006 and subsequently completed an MBA at Harvard Business School in 2011.
Eli Lilly
During her studies at the University of Bath, Tan took a year-long industrial placement at Eli Lilly located in Basingstoke. This opportunity revealed to her that strategic decisions were predominantly made by senior management, inspiring her to pursue advanced studies in finance and management to merge engineering insights with business leadership and impact executive decision-making.
McKinsey
Although initially unfamiliar with consulting, Tan joined McKinsey & Company’s Malaysian branch, where she distinguished herself and secured sponsorship for an MBA at Harvard Business School. It was within this program that she connected with fellow Malaysian Anthony Tan, who would become her Grab co-founder.
Grab
While enrolled at Harvard Business School, Tan partnered with Anthony Tan to develop a business concept centered on a mobile application designed to link passengers with nearby taxi drivers amid Malaysia’s congested urban landscape. Motivated by personal safety concerns—including devising a "manual GPS system" with her mother to monitor her trips home—they sought to improve the unreliable taxi services prevalent in Kuala Lumpur.
Their proposal earned second place and $25,000 in the 2011 HBS New Venture Competition. Leveraging this prize along with their own funds, they launched the app—originally named MyTeksi—in June 2012.
After completing her MBA, Tan returned to McKinsey to fulfill her contractual obligations before joining Salesforce in San Francisco. During this period, she contributed to Grab on a part-time basis until fully committing as COO in 2015. In this role, she concentrated on product innovation, talent management, and enhancing customer satisfaction. In May 2023, Tan declared her intention to resign from her executive positions by the end of that year.
Personal life
Describing herself as an introvert, Tan prefers maintaining a more reserved public presence compared to co-founder Anthony Tan. Among her personal interests is swing dancing, which she learned while living in San Francisco. Additionally, she is skilled in playing both the piano and violin, holding formal qualifications including a piano diploma and Grade 8 certification on violin.