Chavalit Frederick Tsao is a fourth-generation maritime entrepreneur who joined his family's shipping business and later took over its leadership from Tan Sri Frank Tsao. He transformed the traditional shipping company into IMC Industrial Group, with maritime, logistics and engineering interests in more than 15 countries, and became chairman of the TPC (Tsao Pao Chee) Group. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan.
He chaired a session at Mare Forum's Shipping China 2005 event and spoke as a panellist at Shipping China 2004.