Tham Khai Wor

Mr. Tham Khai Wor was best known as the chief salesman to his marketing colleagues at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH).

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His career with the group started in 1972 at Times Printers Sdn Bhd where he was regional marketing manager. One of his memorable achievements was the contract to produce the Asian editions of Time magazine and later Fortune in Singapore, ahead of the US editions being printed in New York. The facsimile was relayed to Times Printers from the US via satellite transmission. It was the first major contract of its kind for the company.

Of his many memories at SPH until he left in 2005, Mr. Tham cites the record $800 million in advertising revenue generated—largely from print—in financial year 2000. According to the company's annual report, it pushed the group's turnover to more than $1 billion for the first time in its history.

For his influence in shaping the media advertising landscape, Mr. Tham, now 81, won many Asian industry awards and was inducted into the Singapore Media Industry Hall of Fame in 2022.

‘We had to maintain our lead without compromising editorial integrity’