Kuala Lumpur
Senior Partner - Audit & assurance, China Business Practice Leader
Desmond Tan is the Senior Partner of Audit and Assurance, China Business Practice Leader and also co-manages the Johor Office of Grant Thornton Malaysia.
Desmond has over 30 years of experience in the field of audit, investigation, domestic or foreign base listing exercise and advisory work. He deals with a wide range of clients, from small local entrepreneurs to large multinational companies, as well as companies listed on the Malaysia Stock Exchange and Overseas Stock Exchange. The industries which he has dealt with are manufacturing, trading, retails, food & beverages, aquaculture, oil & gas, plantation, construction, property development, government agency, information technology, etc.
He has also undertaken due diligence review, special investigations, government agency privatisation exercise, listing exercise and corporate exercises varying from merger & acquisition, domestic or foreign base initial public offering to back-door listing or reverse takeover as well as involving the review of profit / cashflow forecast and preparation of accountants’ report.
With his audit and IPO expertise, he currently leads the audit team as the Official Auditor for the Sin Chew Business Excellence Awards (2013–2025) and also serves as a speaker for the Awards.
He currently leads the China Business Practice of Grant Thornton Malaysia which assists Chinese businesses to invest, expand and set up operations in Malaysia. He also assists Malaysian businesses to invest, expand and set up operations in China as well as to provide sound advice and guidance to Chinese businesses and investors.
In his professional capacity, Desmond currently holds numerous roles in professional bodies, namely:
He also held numerous roles in the past in the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), such as:
Past roles held in the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA):
Beyond his involvement in professional bodies, Desmond had served as the Independent Returning Officer in 2017, 2022 & 2025 for the Democratic Action Party (DAP)’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) Election.
He also played a leadership role in the peer review of Grant Thornton member firms overseas.
In his personal capacity, he has completed the International Senior Leadership Program conducted by Business Said School, Oxford University in United Kingdom.
He also served as the Chairman and Treasurer of the Joint Management Board for his neighbourhood.
Desmond Tan, Senior Partner shared with Nanyang what it takes for a company to achieve a successful IPO and create sustainable value beyond its listing.
Desmond Tan, Senior Partner shared with Nanyang what it takes for a company to achieve a successful IPO and create sustainable value beyond its listing.
Learn Bursa Malaysia IPO listing requirements, from Main, ACE & LEAP Markets to governance, eligibility, and process for Malaysian companies going public.
Senior Partner - Audit & assurance, China Business Practice Leader