A car accident killed the CEO of the big private shipping company Foremost.
She was the sister of former US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
People remembered Angela Chao as a leader in the maritime industry. She was the daughter of Foremost founder James SC Chao and the sister-in-law of Senator Mitch McConnell.
The U.S. Sun got a statement from her family’s shipping company, Foremost Group, confirming her sad death.
Chao, they said, “placed special emphasis on paying attention to the care and well-being of our crews” and overall “played a role in performing our services.”
The US Coast Guard Academy heard about her death and sent their condolences on social media.
“Angela was a trailblazer in the maritime industry and a true friend of the Academy,” it said.
“Her grace, compassion and leadership will be remembered by all who knew her.”
Before she started working at the bank Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for a few years, Chao graduated from both Harvard College and Harvard Business School.
In 2018, she became the CEO of her dad’s business.
In a sad statement after her death, her 96-year-old father, who was deeply saddened, called her a “brilliant woman” and “a charismatic and visionary leader.”
“She smiled and laughed all the time.” The statement said, “She deeply believed that family, friends, and helping others are the most valuable things in life.”
“In Chinese, Angela’s name sounds like the characters for peace and wealth.”
“She definitely gave this world more than her fair share of both.”
“Losing her at such a young age is something we never even imagined, and our entire family is devastated with grief.”
Chao’s sister Elaine is famous for being the secretary of labor in the White House under President George W. Bush and the secretary of transportation under President Trump.
Additionally, Elaine is Mitch McConnell’s second wife. They’ve been married since 1993 and are the Senate Minority Leader’s sister.
In addition to being CEO of the family business, Chao was on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Bank of China.
The Asian American Foundation called Chao a “beloved philanthropist and respected leader” in a heartbreaking statement released after her death.
Chao is known for her strong support of the arts. She met her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, through their shared support of the arts.
Throughout her impressive career, she always said that her family was what drove her.
The Harvard Business College profile for Chao says, “Like her father, mother, and sisters, Angela Chao’s life has been built on a foundation of respect for her parents and a commitment to living a good, kind life.”
“She believes the true treasures of life are found in family friends, and in giving back to society.”
Chao has four sisters, her husband, and her father left behind.
In 2007, Nancy Mulan Chu Chao’s lymphoma took her life.
James began the Foremost Group in 1964, and it is based in New York City.
It is known as one of the best companies in the world for shipping dry goods between countries.