Vela Tan was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of TSH on 24 November 2023 and was re-designated as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of TSH on 1 September 2024.

He has a Diploma in Management from the Malaysian Institute of Management in 1983.

He served Multi-Purpose Holdings Berhad for 5 years before joining IJM Corporation Berhad in 1985. In 1994, he was appointed as Group General Manager and later as Executive Director in 1997 and Managing Director in 2003. He was appointed as Group Executive Director of IJM Corporation Berhad from 2001 to 2003. He was the catalyst & spearheaded the listing of IJM Plantations Berhad on the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in 2003. He was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of IJM Plantations Berhad in 2004 and retired in 2010. He was later appointed as Chief Executive Officer to complete the Group’s Indonesian plantation development.

In the years to follow, Vela focused on overseas investments and plantations related opportunities in Fiji and Solomon Islands, apart from managing his family and own plantations in both Malaysia and Indonesia. In 2018, he ventured into coconut plantation business with the establishment of Islands Own Pte. Ltd., having its first operations initiated in the Solomon Islands. He and his management team are currently and actively pursuing rejuvenation efforts for the coconut industry of the Solomon Islands, through rehabilitation and replanting programmes & introduction of coco-technology, whilst initiating for a second and similar set up in East Malaysia.

Vela was conferred with an Honorary fellowship of the Malaysian Oil Scientists’ & Technologists’ Association (MOSTA) in June 2010 & also Sabah Sports Laureate (Tokoh Sukan) in 2010. He was a Council Member of the Malaysian Estate Owners’ Association (MEOA) for term 2010/2011. He was also a Council Member of Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) and alternate Board Member on the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).

He was elected as the Vice President of Asia Rugby (2019-2024), Chairman of the Development Committee (2017-2024) and assigned as Chairman to reform and restructure Asia Rugby. He was the Vice President (Hon) of Malaysia Rugby (2019-2023) and Deputy Vice President of Malaysia Rugby (2016-2019).

Vela is the President of Sabah Rugby Union since 2002 and Founding President of Eagles Rugby Club, Sandakan.