The board of Tata International, the global trading and distribution company, has announced the appointment of GK Pillai as Chairman of the company with effect from September 26.

He succeeds B Muthuraman, who retires from the Tata group.

GK Pillai is a distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras.

He belongs to the Kerala cadre of the Indian Administrative Service (1972 batch) and has held various positions in his cadre and at the centre.

Pillai is the former Union Home Secretary, Union Commerce Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Justice in the Ministry of Law and Justice.

As Special Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, he was India's Chief negotiator at the WTO.

He has also represented the State and Union Government on delegations to the US, EU, Argentina, Brazil, DRC, Singapore, Japan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Canada, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, the UK, Thailand and Slovenia.