Tao Huang earned his bachelor's from Hunan University in Changsha in 1983, his master's from Marquette University in 1991, and his MBA from Chicago Booth in 1999. In 1990, Huang joined Morningstar Inc., a rapidly growing financial information firm.
When he joined Morningstar, revenues were $2 million a year. By 1995, revenues had hit $31 million. In 1995, Huang was named a member of the executive committee and chief technology officer in 1996. Huang led many of the new technology and product development efforts at Morningstar, including the creation of the company's first website and its related global site.
In 1998, he was named president of international operations, responsible for increasing Morningstar's presence worldwide. Under Huang's leadership, the company opened 15 offices in Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. From 1998 to 2000, he also served as senior vice president of business development and head of internet operations. Huang was appointed chief operating officer in 2000.