Robert Chandran
Encyclopedia
Robert Viswanathan Chandran (May 31, 1950 – January 7, 2008) was an India
n-born Singapore
an business executive, and the founder and CEO
of the Chemoil
company.
Chandran was born in 1950 in Mumbai
, India
. He unsuccessfully applied to study medicine at the University of Madras
, but instead undertook a Master's degree
in chemistry
. Following the death of his mother, he left India in 1972 and lived in the Philippines
where he attended the Asian Institute of Management
until 1976, when he emigrated to the United States
with his Filipino-American wife Vivian. Chandran first made his fortune in California
, investing in real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area
. In 1981, he was naturalized
as a U.S. citizen, and in the same year he founded Chemoil
, a chemical and oil trading company specializing in ship-fueling.
By 1991, Chemoil was listed by Forbes
as one of the United States' largest private companies, although a blow to the company's fortunes following a global downturn in shipping after the Exxon Valdez
disaster forced a major restructure and refinancing. Chemoil formed a partnership with Japan
ese trading company Itochu
, which bought a 50% stake in the company. In 2005, Chandran moved himself and the company to a base in Singapore
to more easily capitalize on the Asian shipping market. He relinquished his U.S. citizenship and applied for Singaporean citizenship
.
Chandran died on January 7, 2008 from injuries sustained when the helicopter in which he was traveling crashed in the Riau province of Indonesia
. News of his death caused Chemoil's share price to drop by around 16 per cent.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an business executive, and the founder and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Chemoil
Chemoil
Chemoil Energy Limited is an oil trading company incorporated in Hong Kong and having its headquarters in Singapore. The company is amongst the largest independent physical suppliers of marine fuel products in the world...
company.
Chandran was born in 1950 in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He unsuccessfully applied to study medicine at the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
, but instead undertook a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. Following the death of his mother, he left India in 1972 and lived in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
where he attended the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
until 1976, when he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his Filipino-American wife Vivian. Chandran first made his fortune in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, investing in real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. In 1981, he was naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
as a U.S. citizen, and in the same year he founded Chemoil
Chemoil
Chemoil Energy Limited is an oil trading company incorporated in Hong Kong and having its headquarters in Singapore. The company is amongst the largest independent physical suppliers of marine fuel products in the world...
, a chemical and oil trading company specializing in ship-fueling.
By 1991, Chemoil was listed by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
as one of the United States' largest private companies, although a blow to the company's fortunes following a global downturn in shipping after the Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez
Oriental Nicety, formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, SeaRiver Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean is an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince William Sound spilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in Alaska...
disaster forced a major restructure and refinancing. Chemoil formed a partnership with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese trading company Itochu
ITOCHU
, until 1992 "C. Itoh" in English, is a Japanese general trading concern based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It has a common origin with Marubeni Corporation. Itochu is a Fortune 500 company.-History:...
, which bought a 50% stake in the company. In 2005, Chandran moved himself and the company to a base in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to more easily capitalize on the Asian shipping market. He relinquished his U.S. citizenship and applied for Singaporean citizenship
Singaporean nationality law
Singaporean nationality law is derived from the Constitution of Singapore and is based on jus sanguinis and a modified form of jus soli...
.
Chandran died on January 7, 2008 from injuries sustained when the helicopter in which he was traveling crashed in the Riau province of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. News of his death caused Chemoil's share price to drop by around 16 per cent.