K V Rao, 46, a specialist in internationalisation, is a postgraduate in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi and has over 25 years of senior management experience in leading industrial, commercial and civil service enterprises in India and Singapore. His global marketing experience covers 40 countries in the developed and emerging markets. A permanent resident of Singapore, he has worked and lived there since 1996.

He has been the resident director of Tata Chemicals at the representative office in Singapore from August 2006. Earlier he was managing director of Idee Nouvelle Pte Ltd, a consulting consortium specialised in internationalisation, as well as corporate advisor and executive director of Nadathur Far-East Pte Ltd, a private equity venture capital fund, from 2002 to 2006.

Starting his career as a management trainee with DCM Ltd, New Delhi, in 1980, he has worked in a number of roles, including general manager (marketing) of Duncan Tea, vice president (international business) in Sol Pharma, CEO and director of Duncan Infotech and Duncan Worldtrade, and director of International Enterprise Singapore (formerly the Singapore Trade Development Board).