| abstract | - Born and raised in a big Chinese family in Penang, Malaysia. He was brought up in a tradi-tional Chinese way and is deeply influenced with Chinese culture. His family has a very reputable name in the Chinese medical field. Instead of taking over the company, he chose to venture into the competitive world of business. Worked in the Hong Kong share market during the late 80s, he has a vast experience in managing shares and investments especially those in China. He was also the co-founder of the famous China's chocolate brand, Le Conte. After a while, he realized that the chocolate company isn't challenging enough for him. In 1992, fate brought him and the Zhuhai government together in which they collaborated to build the first ever racing circuit in China and also the first official street-racing circuit (1993-1995) in the beautiful city of Zhuhai. Stewart is one of the true pioneers of Chinese motor sport, his contribution in 1992 has helped establish Zhuhai International Circuit. In 1994, he and his group of organizers brought the world famous BPR Global Endurance GT to Zhuhai, China. He was the prime mover behind the world-renowned street races in Zhuhai, and the event returned again in 1995. These memorable events were held before the permanent circuit was build. The success of the street races laid strong foundations for the permanent circuit. In 1997, Stewart partnered with Elf and Renault of France to bring “Formula Campus” (a junior formula) to China, established Formula Racing Development Ltd (FRD Motorsports). At the same time he setup the first ever racing school in China and organized China’s first formula racing series. He was the Team Principal of the Volkswagen China (FAW) Factory Rally Team in 1999. The car used at that time was the Volkswagen Jetta. From 2004 to 2007, Stewart brought FIA GT Championship to Zhuhai International Circuit, once again confirming the circuit’s international status. In 2006, Stewart created the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival, a regular event that included the Circuit Hero race. Not only did it immediately becomes the focal point for race drivers, race fans and the media in the Pearl River Delta region, it also attracted the support of strong sponsors such as Frestech, Red Bull, Coca-cola, Audi…etc. In 2007, Stewart worked with China Motor Sport Association (CMSA) to create the China Superbike Championship, with two races in Zhuhai, one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. Over the 5 years, Tongyi Iced Tea, Yulin Pharmeceutical have sponsored the successful championship. In December of the same year, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport came to the track and thousands of fans were able to witness the exciting moment when A1 Team China driver Cheng Congfu achieved a podium finish in the race. Due to his series of successes in 2007, Stewart was awarded the “Man of the Year” by Autonews Magazine at the Golden Autosport Awards in 2008. Mr. Tan is currently the General Manager of Zhuhai International Circuit Ltd. In 2010 and 2011, under his leadership, the circuit signed an agreement with Automobile Club de l’Ouest to bring the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup to Zhuhai. In 2011, the Zhuhai Municipal Government also hosted a China Zhuhai International Motor Sport Festival to help promote the event in the city, adding a lot of glamour to the event. With this level of success, it was no surprise that in early 2012, Stewart Tan was awarded Business Operator of the Year at the 6th Annual Motorsport Awards.
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