CTSI’s Tan named SHRM’s employer of the year

CTSI Logistics president and chief executive officer Jerry Tan stressed the value of teamwork, communication, and social responsibility, as he accepted the 2004 Employer of the Year award from the CNMI Society of Human Resource Management yesterday.

In his acceptance speech, Tan dedicated the award to the CTSI management and staff who, he said, did all the work toward making the company successful.

“I think the only way anyone can be a good employer is by having genuine care for his employees. Because if you care for your employees, everything else will come naturally,” Tan said.

Tan was nominated for the award by SHRM member Joji Silva, who is the human resource manager for Tan Holdings Corp.’s non-apparel group.

In her nomination, Silva listed the many programs that Tan has implemented to support his employees and human resource management.

Among these programs are the annual recognition of loyal and outstanding employees, monthly general assemblies that foster communication among management and staff, and company publications that feature news on the company and its team members.

Tan was also credited for his efforts to promote interaction among employees by instituting monthly gatherings for birthday celebrators, an annual Family Day, and a yearly sports festival.

Further, Tan received recognition for establishing an in-house training program for all CTSI team members; for implementing a web-based HR system that integrates personnel information management, recruitment, employee movement, timekeeping, and payroll functions; and for leading CTSI employees in participating in community events.

“More than just a CEO focused in leading a company to greater heights, Jerry Tan knows the value of many things that form the backbone of the company he heads. He knows the immense worth that people—his team members—play in the vitality of any organization. He knows the importance of the support of a community as it becomes the backdrop from which a company thrives.

“More than anything else, he knows the significance of being deeply involved in both elements because to him, a responsible employer is not merely one who provides proper compensation and benefits. To him, a responsible employer is one who simply cares beyond his office desk,” Silva said.

Born in Hong Kong, Tan grew up in Guam and Saipan and has been a resident of these islands for the past 28 years. He attended high school in Guam and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Guam with a double major in accounting and management.

As executive vice president of Tan Holdings Corporation, Tan oversees the firm’s “non-apparel” companies, which include the Century Group of Companies and numerous others. He is vice president & director of Asia Pacific Hotels, which owns the Dai-ichi Hotel Saipan Beach and Guam Dai-ichi Hotel.

He is also president and CEO of the CTSI Logistics Group and a director of the Luen Thai Group.