Chavalit Frederick Tsao is the fourth-generation steward of IMCPAA, a 120-year-old family shipping business. He was born in the East and educated in the West. After graduating from his master’s in engineering from the University of Michigan, he joined the family business at the age of 20. He took over the helm of the family shipping business from his father at the age of 36 and went on to become the Chairman of INTERCARGO, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners at 42.
Today, the IMCPAA is a diversified multi-national conglomerate, under a Trust, governed by the well-being mandate; with the mission to “Serve the well-being of Life and create wealth at the same time”. In 1995, he founded the East West Centre for Cultural Research on Sustainability through which he commissioned and authored close to 40 books. He has great interest in Culture and has a non-profit with his wife on exploring Chinese Culture in the global context.
He believes that business must reform to serve the flourishing of Life in this new era. He has founded three non-profits under IMC Pan Asia Alliance, Octave Institute, No.17 Foundation and Restore Nature Foundation, to promote philanthropy in IMCPAA.