Angela Chao

Angela Chao, the chief executive of a shipping company and part of a family prominent in American politics and business deals with China, died in a car crash on Sunday, in Texas. She was 50. She was the daughter of James Chao and sister of Elaine Chao and also the widow of Bruce Wasserstein - head of Lazard. The youngest of six daughters, Angela Chao was born in 1973 in Syosset, N.Y., on the North Shore of Long Island, and grew up in Harrison, N.Y., a well-to-do town in Westchester County. She graduated from Harvard College in 1994, completing her studies in three years. "After graduating from Harvard College in three years to get an early start on my career, I went into investment banking and worked in the mergers and acquisitions group of what is now Citigroup." After earning her MBA, Angela served as Vice President then Senior Vice President of Foremost Group, concentrating on ship operations and management. She then became Deputy Chairman, overseeing the company’s overall strategy, chartering, and operations. Ms. Chao is the deputy chair of Foremost Group, an international shipping organization. She formerly worked as an investment banker at Salomon Smith Barney. She received an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and a master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School. She also serves on the boards of The Foremost Foundation and The Chao Family Foundations. A well-known and respected executive in a male-dominated industry, Angela is also a sought-after public speaker on economics, corporate leadership, and trade and relations between the U.S. and China. Her husband, Jim Breyer, is also a Harvard Business School graduate and member of Harvard Corporation, among other boards. In addition to her father and Elaine Chao, Ms. Chao is survived by three other sisters, her husband and their 3-year-old son.