Rahul Rai joined the US-ASEAN Business Council as an Associate in August 2023. Based in Singapore, he serves as the Special Assistant to the Council’s Regional Managing Director while also handling Membership & Operations responsibilities for the local office. 

Prior to joining the Council, Rahul was at HSBC as a Commercial Banking Graduate Analyst, where he gained expertise in areas such as credit analysis, foreign exchange and risk management. Upon completing his graduate programme, Rahul joined the bank’s Global Trade and Receivables (GTRF) business as a Business Development Manager, where he managed the working capital needs of a portfolio of middle market enterprises. In addition to this, he was also closely involved in advancing HSBC's ESG initiatives through the bank’s ‘Sustainability in Action’ project, where he took on the positions of Partnerships Team Lead and Assistant to Global Programme Director. 

Rahul graduated from Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2021 with a major in Political Science. During his university years, he actively contributed as a member of SMU Apolitical, working to foster a deeper understanding of politics among fellow students. His passion for politics and international relations now converges his trade finance expertise, driving his pursuit of a career in trade advocacy and policy with the Council.