Robert Chandran
Robert Viswanathan Chandran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Mumbai, India |
| Died | January 7, 2008 (aged 57) |
| Occupation | Business leader |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Chemoil |
Robert Viswanathan Chandran (31 May 1950 – 7 January 2008) was a Singaporean business leader of Indian origin, recognized as the founder and CEO of Chemoil.
Early life and education
Chandran was born in 1950 in Mumbai, India, and relocated to Coimbatore at the age of nine due to his family's financial struggles. He initially sought admission to study medicine at the University of Madras but was unsuccessful. Instead, he pursued and obtained a Master's degree in chemistry. After the passing of his mother, he departed India in 1972 and completed an MBA at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines. In 1976, he moved to the United States accompanied by his Filipino-American spouse, Vivian.
Career
Chandran's early wealth was generated through real estate investments in California's San Francisco Bay Area. In 1981, having acquired U.S. citizenship, he established Chemoil, a company specializing in chemical and oil trading with a focus on marine fuel supply. By 1991, Forbes listed Chemoil among the largest privately held firms in the United States. The company encountered difficulties following the global shipping industry downturn triggered by the Exxon Valdez incident, leading to significant corporate restructuring and refinancing efforts. In 2005, Chandran moved both himself and Chemoil to Singapore to capitalize on expanding opportunities within Asia's shipping sector.
Personal life
Chandran was married to Vivian and had two children. Inspired by a National Day Rally broadcast, he decided to resettle his family in Singapore and renounced his American citizenship to become a Singaporean citizen in 2005.
He passed away on 7 January 2008 due to injuries sustained in a helicopter accident in Indonesia's Riau province. Following the announcement of his death, Chemoil's stock price declined by roughly 16 percent.