Can the Tata Trusts chairman also head Tata Sons? Under the change, the chairman of either the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust or the Sir Ratan Tata Trust cannot simultaneously serve as Tata Sons chairman. Now Noel Tata is chairman of Tata Trusts, and therefore cannot also become chairman of Tata Sons. How previous Tata Sons successions workedWhen Ratan Tata was preparing to retire, Tata Sons set up a five-member selection committee to find his successor. In October 2016, the Tata Sons board replaced Mistry as chairman and appointed Ratan Tata as interim chairman.