N.Balakrishnan was born in India, grew up in Malaysia, was educated in the US and the UK and
has worked in many Asian countries. For the past two decades Balakrishnan has been based in
Hong Kong where he lives with his family.
Balakrishnan is married to Doctor Chew KhengSuan, who is teaching at the Hong Kong Baptist University.
Balakrishnan was educated in the US, UK and Malaysia. He obtained his M.Sc degree from the
Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in the City of New York. This school is
rated as the best journalism school in the US and the World.
Balakrishnan also obtained his undergraduate degree in the US at the Amherst College in
Massachusetts. Amherst College is usually ranked either number one or number two in the “US
News and World Report” ranking of the best Liberal Arts colleges in the US.
He also spent a year at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) doing a
research project on the British plantation colonies of Malaya, Mauritius and British Guiana.
In Malaysia, Balakrishnan studied at the Penang Free School, founded in 1816 and the oldest
English medium school in Malaysia/Singapore and the oldest English High School in South East
Asia.
At the practical level, Balakrishnan has worked with many companies and industries spanning
financial, manufacturing, media and gaming industries and ranging from big multinational
companies to start up companies. He has been either Chairman or the CEO such companies in many
countries, including Hong Kong and India.
He has recruited, organized and motivated people from different countries and cultures to carry
out often difficult business missions. Because of his experience spanning many companies,
cultures and countries, he brings a deep understanding of the business world across the globe.