Alumni Association of Lakehead University

Genuine Wealth: The Importance of Health and Happiness

by Maureen Arges Nadin

Poh Lam Tan, 1980 Business Grad and successful businessman, loves people. It is evident in the earnest and enthusiastic nature of his conversation which can not be subdued even during a long distance transmission from his native Singapore. Despite the miles that separate us, and the 13 hour time difference, (my 10 o'clock at night compared to his 11 in the morning), I can feel Poh Lam's "smile" and I am quickly energized to match his vibration.

It is that same love of people and resulting insight into what people love that has guided Poh Lam through a successful career in marketing to his current position as the CEO of Alliance Entertainment in Singapore. His transition from the marketing of soft drinks such as Coca Cola and Seven Up to cosmetics and luxury items and ultimately the movie business happened gradually but the common denominator was always the ability to network and connect with people. An essential skill set for anyone in the marketing field and one that Poh Lam possesses in abundance.

After graduating from LU in 1980, Poh Lam returned to Singapore and began a short lived position in the retail banking industry, a job which he recalls becoming bored with very quickly.  He  subsequently spent 3 years with the soft drink company before moving on to a Swiss trading Company where he marketed “luxury items” like Porsche Design Italian leather and accessories, Concord Swiss watches, and top of the range Swiss colouring materials Caran d’Ache. He remained in this position until 1987, a pivotal year in his career path.  For it was in this year that Poh Lam started working for the video division of Warner Bros., managing the Singapore operation. Within 2 years, he was managing the region, which consisted of most of Asia, (including China and India but excluding Korea and Japan) and subsequently also U.A.E, in the Middle East. During his career with Warner Bros, Poh Lam progressed from the General Manager position in Singapore to the Vice President of the Asian operation, the only Asian to hold such a position at that time, an achievement of which he is understandably still very proud.

After 13 years with Warner Brothers, Poh Lam reached another career turning point when he struck out on his own and founded Alliance Entertainment. As the result of some deft negotiations with his bosses at Warner Bros, he became the licensed video distributor for Warner Home Video in Singapore. Poh Lam was able to use his evidently considerable skills of persuasion to convince his contacts at Sony, New Line (the studio that produced the mega-Blockbuster the Lord of the Ring Trilogy) and 20th Century Fox and also MGM to follow suit, ultimately making Alliance the leading distributor of home entertainment in Singapore. In addition, he is also the Master Franchisee for Video Ezy, the leading Video Franchise in Asia-Pacific from Australia. And in a very recent development, Poh Lam was awarded the exclusive license for Quantum Learning Network in Singapore, the founder of the highly successful Super Camp in the United States.

The ability to compel people to listen and support your ideas has less to do with persuasion, Poh Lam points out, and everything to do with being passionate. And his obvious passion has propelled him into a remarkably successful career and business vision. But it all started 27 years earlier on the campus of Lakehead University.

Poh Lam recalls his years at LU with a genuine affection for the school, the City and of course, the people. Although he readily admits that he had initially preferred to attend University in the UK where many of his friends were located, he does not regret his ultimate decision to move to a small city in Canada, a distant part of the world which he knew virtually nothing about  when he made the decision. “I was clueless, “he readily admits.  

Not knowing a soul when he arrived on campus, Poh Lam tells me that he especially appreciated the smaller and more intimate community of Lakehead University, where students are “not just another number”. His outgoing and engaging personality had always enabled him to make friends easily and he consciously extended to the local students rather than remain immersed in the Asian student community. What was the point of coming all that way, he reasoned, if he was going to remain within the comfort zone of his own cultural group?  Forming relationships with Canadian staff and students was the best way to maximize the cross cultural experience and Poh Lam was richly rewarded by the gift of friendships that he still shares today. With the assistance of the Office of Alumni Relations, Poh Lam was  recently able  to reconnect with two of his oldest and dearest friends from his LU days, fellow grads, Scott Kyle and John Kerr, a communication that he hopes will rekindle the friendship and perhaps lead to an overseas visit  and further cultural exchange in the future.

In a further illustration of his enthusiasm and willingness to embrace the Canadian experience, Poh Lam entertains me with not only his recollections of the cold weather ( he started “shivering “ when he arrived in the Fall, not knowing that the real cold had not yet arrived.) , but his intrepid adventures in skiing, both downhill and cross country. Including his dismay when he discovered that one “pushes off” that “really high” ski lift, a memory which he still recalls with characteristic humour.

What does the future hold for this successful businessman? A change in perspective borne from entering mid life and becoming a late in life father (51 year old Poh Lam has two children, ages 8 and 10) has called him in another direction. For a man who has been on the go for most of his career, Poh Lam finds himself drawn to more sedate and tranquil pursuits.  He now values time more than money and especially appreciates the “wealth” of having good health. Future ventures could involve a vision that focuses on health and wellness, a philosophy that he hopes to instill in his children; the importance of health and happiness.  Poh Lam reflects this back to me when asked for his favourite quote “ When we are young, we give up a lot of health in search of wealth and when we are old, we give up a lot of wealth in search of health.” he astutely observes. A wise insight indeed from a man who knows a lot about people. Thanks, Poh Lam. We eagerly await your next endeavour which will no doubt be every bit as successful as the first one.

Note: Read more about Poh Lam Tan and his success at Alliance Entertainment Singapore at Asiaone Business.