Indian-Irish businessman Noel Tata has been appointed chairman of Tata Trusts, the Tata Group’s charity arm. His parents are Simone N Tata and Naval H Tata. After Ratan Tata, his half-brother, passed away earlier this week at the age of 86, Noel assumed the role.
The appointment of Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, as Tata Sons’ chair was authorised by the board of Tata Trusts on Friday morning.
As a trustee, Noel Tata presently holds a significant 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the broad Tata Group, together with the Sir Dorabji and Sir Ratan Tata Trusts. As of right now, the Trusts have not released any statements about succession planning.
The Tata Trusts’ leadership has been under question after Ratan Tata’s death. Since Ratan Tata did not name a successor before his death, the boards of Tata Trusts, the biggest public philanthropic organisation in India, must now select a new chairman from among the current trustees.
Who Is Noel Tata?
With 40 years of experience, Noel Tata is the Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Tata International Limited. Among the positions he holds on the group’s boards are Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited and Chairman of Trent, Voltas, and Tata Investment Corporation.
He oversaw the company’s rapid expansion in his most recent leadership role as Managing Director of Tata International Limited, where sales increased from $500 million to over $3 billion between August 2010 and November 2021.
According to reports, Noel Tata was a formidable candidate for the top job of Tata Sons, but Cyrus Mistry—Noel’s brother-in-law—was chosen in the final straw. N Chandrasekaran, the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at the time, took over as chairman of Tata Sons after Mistry’s controversial exit.
The three children of Noel Tata—Maya, Neville, and Leah—have been named as trustees of several charitable organisations connected to Tata Trusts, which oversees the significant $150 billion Tata Group, as a testament to the family’s commitment to philanthropy. The goal of this generational involvement is to uphold the charitable legacy set by their predecessors and improve the Trusts’ governance.
Ratan Tata is recognised for his more public and media-focused leadership style, whereas Noel Tata is regarded for his quieter attitude. Although Ratan Tata’s term was marked by substantial public involvement, Noel has focused on the retail and overseas divisions of the Tata Group.
He began his tenure with the Tata Group in 1999, and since then, he has played a significant role in the expansion of its retail sector. This is particularly relevant of his leadership at Trent, where he turned the business into a prominent participant in the retail industry.
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