Arun M. Kumar, Chairman and CEO, KPMG in India is an accomplished global executive with experience spanning multiple sectors from high technology to Government and many geographies from Silicon Valley to India.
President Obama nominated Kumar to the role of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. In that role, he led an organization with offices in 78 countries and all 50 states of the U.S., focused on enhancing trade and investment.
Arun was one of the top commercial diplomats for the U.S., advocating for better market access for U.S. exporters worldwide. He traveled to more than thirty countries around the world, engaging with senior Government and business leaders.
Before his tenure in public service, Kumar was a Partner and member of the Board of Directors at KPMG, LLP (US). He led the firm’s West Coast Management Consulting practice serving major global clients as well as emerging Silicon Valley ventures while creating thought leadership to advance business practices in financial management. He also founded and led KPMG’s US-India practice.
Previously, Kumar was a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, founding CEO and CFO of three technology ventures. Over the years, he has been a mentor and advisor to a number of new ventures in Silicon Valley and India.
Kumar has been a member of advisory councils at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. An early Charter Member of TiE Silicon Valley, he also served on its Board, apart from being on the Board of Directors of the U.S. India Business Council.
Kumar has authored a book of poetry, Plain Truths (2010), and co-edited a book, Kerala’s Economy: Crouching Tiger, Sacred Cows (2007).
Kumar received his Master’s degree in Management from the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Kerala, India. He started his career in India as a member of TAS, the central management cadre of the Tata Group.