Joo Ok Lee
About Joo Ok Lee
Joo Ok Lee serves as the Head of Regional Agenda for the Asia-Pacific at the World Economic Forum, where she has worked since 2020. She has extensive experience in public-private collaboration and regional strategies, having held various roles within the organization since 2012 and previously worked at Procter & Gamble and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
Current Role at World Economic Forum
Joo Ok Lee serves as the Head of Regional Agenda for the Asia-Pacific at the World Economic Forum since 2020. In this role, she manages key government and institutional relationships between the Forum and the Asia-Pacific region, which includes ASEAN, the Korean Peninsula, and Australasia. Her responsibilities involve facilitating public-private collaboration to address various economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by the region.
Previous Positions at World Economic Forum
Joo Ok Lee has held multiple positions at the World Economic Forum prior to her current role. She worked as Head of International Organizations, Geopolitical and Regional Agenda from 2018 to 2020, and as Director (Strategy Lead, Asia Pacific) from 2016 to 2018. Additionally, she was the Senior Community Manager for Asia from 2012 to 2014 and served as Associate Director for the Asia-Pacific from 2014 to 2016. Her experience spans various strategic roles that contribute to regional development.
Education and Academic Background
Joo Ok Lee completed her MBA at INSEAD from 2011 to 2012. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Seoul National University, where she studied from 2000 to 2007. Earlier in her education, she attended CIS from 1997 to 1998. This academic background supports her expertise in regional strategies and community development.
Early Career Experience
Before her extensive tenure at the World Economic Forum, Joo Ok Lee worked at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO as a Program Specialist in Education from 2007 to 2011. She also gained early experience as a Marketing Intern at Procter & Gamble for two months in 2006 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. These roles provided her with foundational skills in program development and marketing.
Regional Projects and Initiatives
In her current position, Joo Ok Lee runs a portfolio of regional projects that focus on critical areas such as the digital economy, youth, jobs, education, environment, entrepreneurship, and technology governance. She collaborates with various Forum Platforms to address these issues, contributing to the development of the Asia-Pacific region.