Grab’s Hooi Ling Tan: Powerhouse Businesswoman and Inspiring Entrepreneur

Author: Yee Xin Cher '22

On the other side of the world in Southeast Asia, Grab, an app that initially started as only a taxi-hailing service but has now expanded into food delivery, parcel delivery and electronic payment, is becoming a bigger part of the everyday lives of citizens. Behind the region’s first decacorn is 35-year-old co-founder and COO Hooi Ling Tan. Tan comes from a humble middle-class family in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she had first-hand experience of how hard it was to hail rides there and the safety risks it posed, especially for women.

She originally graduated from the University of Bath in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, inspired by her father who was a civil engineer. However, after working at the top consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, Tan’s impressive performance landed her a sponsored MBA education at Harvard Business School. At Harvard, she met fellow Malaysian classmate and future business partner, Anthony Tan. They were inspired by the idea of the versatile app after having many conversations about the struggles of getting a ride in Malaysian cities and co-founded the Grab company together. Their business plan was the runner-up in the HBS New Venture Competition in 2011, winning $25,000. Using those proceeds as well as their own personal funds, the two launched the mobile app, at the time called MyTeksi, in Malaysia in June 2012.

Although both business partners contributed to the company, Hooi Ling Tan had to return to work for McKinsey in California after her graduation as a condition of her education sponsorship. She worked at McKinsey during the day and then worked tirelessly throughout many nights helping Anthony Tan manage the new company from across the world. In 2015, she decided to work full-time on Grab because the business was what she was most passionate about. Hooi Ling Tan also saw the rapidly growing potential that the Malaysian region had to offer, resembling the growth that China had also experienced in the transportation sector. There was also the sentimental fact that the region was where she called home. Given that inherent familiarity, she had an advantage in being able to navigate the market with an understanding of the culture and economy that other international founders might not have. Proof of this was in 2018, when Grab bought Uber’s Southeast Asian operations, claiming a monopoly over eight different countries.

Hooi Ling Tan places emphasis on the company’s purpose to problem solve and make lives easier for the people. In addition to the technology, Grab also provides operational sessions that help guide drivers on how to effectively use the technology. They have also invested a lot in ensuring the safety of their customers through training or technological additions. What drives her, Tan says, is working towards what she believes in, starting from the initial motivation to solve Malaysia’s taxi safety problem to now helping more drivers and merchants make a living. The company has created jobs for millions of drivers across Southeast Asia, providing extra income for households, making it safer and more convenient to travel anytime and anywhere, and encouraging the population to become more updated with the latest technology.

Outside the region, it is hard to understand the magnitude of Grab’s influence on people’s everyday lives. However, all doubt can be put aside once you find yourself standing in any Southeast Asian urban city, seeing the Grab logo plastered all over cars, motorcycle helmets, advertisement boards, and even cashiers. With over 160 million downloads, 30 million passengers and an average of 40 million rides daily, the company shows no signs of stopping and will continue to be a powerhouse in the region.

Image Credit:

Image 1: generation.asia

Image 2: techwireasia.com

Image 3: saigoneer.com