tgn15

  Speaker 2015 Annual Meeting

 

 

 pillai_2015

Gopinath Pillai
Executive Chairman
Savant Infocomm, Singapore

Ambassador Gopinath Pillai holds several key public appointments simultaneously. He is Chairman of the Management Board of the Institute of South Asian Studies. He is Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since August 2008. He is also Executive Chairman of Savant Infocomm Pte Ltd. Ambassador Pillai was Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran between 1990 and 2008 and also served as Singapore’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. The Indian government conferred Ambassador Pillai with the Padma Shri award at the 2012 Republic Day. Ambassador Pillai’s varied business interests include investments in education, logistics and information technology. He is Founder Chairman of a port-related listed logistics company in India, Gateway Distriparks Ltd, and its subsidiary, Snowman Logistics Ltd and Director of another subsidiary, Gateway Rail Freight Ltd. He is also Director of AEC Education PLC, listed on AIM in London. He is an independent director of Jurong International Holdings Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of JTC. Ambassador Pillai is also Deputy Chairman of Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital Limited, a non-government organisation-administered hospital for step-down care. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Indian Heritage Centre project and Chairman of its Concept and Content Sub-committee. Ambassador Pillai has also held positions of Chairman of NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd for 10 years; Trustee of NTUC Healthcare Cooperative Ltd; Director of NTUC Choice Homes Co-operative Ltd; and President of the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS). He was made a Distinguished Member of NUSS in 2011. Ambassador Pillai has received several awards, including the Friend of Labour (NTUC 1987); Meritorious Award (NTUC 1990); Friend of MCD from the Ministry of Community Development (1998); and Friend of IT from Singapore Computer Society (2001). The Singapore government has awarded Ambassador Pillai the Public Service Star Award (BBM) in 1999 and BBM (BAR) in the 2009 National Day Awards.