By Kimmy Yam -
NBC News
Angela Chao, CEO of dry bulk shipping company Foremost Group and sister of former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, died in a traffic accident, the company and her family reported.
She was 50 years old.
His father, James SC Chao, said the family was "heartbroken" by his death.
Neither the company nor the family gave more details about the accident.
"Angela's name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity. Without a doubt, she gave more than her fair share of both to this world," he said in a statement.
"His absence from her leaves a void not only in our hearts, but in the Asian American community."
Angela Chao, in Los Angeles, on January 12, 2024.Frazer Harrison / Getty Images file
Angela Chao, who has five siblings, served as CEO of Foremost Group since 2018 and was also involved in a number of organizations in which she held positions: the Council of the American Bureau of Shipping, the Board of Advisors to the Dean of Harvard Business School and the Metropolitan Opera, among others.
Additionally, she was one of the founding chairs of the advisory board of the non-profit organization The Asian American Foundation, as well as chair of the foundation's education committee, whose goal was to help students "access quality education." .
[A car crashes into the emergency room of a hospital in Texas and leaves one dead and four injured]
"The Asian American Foundation is heartbroken to learn of the devastating death of Angela Chao,
a beloved businesswoman, philanthropist, and respected leader
," the nonprofit organization stated in a statement.
"Angela has left an indelible mark on the Asian American Foundation and the AAPI community. A brilliant and committed leader, Angela's warmth, kindness and infectious energy will endure in our work for decades."
Chao was born in 1973 and is the daughter of James SC Chao, founder of the prominent shipping company, and the late Ruth Mulan Chu Chao.
Her sister Elaine is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican.
No information is available on other surviving family members.
According to her father, Angela became interested in the shipping industry very early on.
She also
became interested in music since she was a child
; she played the French horn and "insisted on taking it to all classes," said her father.
"These early experiences created a passionate, lifelong commitment to the fine arts."
[The man who died in the New York subway shooting was a Mexican who was not involved in the argument]
Angela Chao graduated from Harvard College and then attended Harvard Business School.
She worked in the mergers and acquisitions department at Smith Barney, now part of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, before joining Foremost Group in 1996.
"As a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, wife and friend, she was unfailingly filial, thoughtful, kind and devoted," her father said in the family statement.
"She made us laugh.
She deeply believed that the true treasures in life are family, friends and helping others.
Losing her at such a young age is something we never even imagined, and our entire family is devastated by grief."