The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment welcomes our new minister, Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath who assumed duty on June 23, 2012. He comes from an international corporate background with a record of achievement in complex and culturally diverse business transformations. He began his political career by becoming the Parliamentary Representative for St Augustine in November 2007.

Minister Bharath's prolific corporate career spans various sectors, including:

• Financial Director John Dickinson Limited
• Managing Director, Agostini Industries Limited
• Chief Executive Officer, National Flour Mills Limited
• Directeur Generale Thomas Cook Europe, where he was responsible for launching the world's first interactive website for the purchase of foreign exchange
• Head – Global Marketing, Gulf Oil, where he was responsible for the marketing functions of 55 countries
• Senior Consultant in the Privatisation of Air India and Indian Airlines
• Chief Executive Officer Nutrimix Flour Mills Ltd., where he built an obscure brand, Country Pride, into a household name

Minister Bharath's Board appointments have included:

• Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI)
• Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS)
• Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA)
• Chairman of the Board of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC)

He is a Chartered Accountant by profession (FCCA) and holds a Master's Degree in Law (LLM) specializing in Intellectual Property Rights as well as a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) specializing in International Marketing.