Asia Society Board Welcomes New Trustees
HONG KONG, March 13, 2015 — At its spring meeting in Hong Kong this week, the Asia Society Board of Trustees announced the election of six new members: Beth Dozoretz; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman, Econet Wireless; Asheet Mehta, Director, McKinsey & Company; the Honorable Kevin Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute; Neil Shen, Founding Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital China; and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, President and Chief Operating Officer, Ayala Corporation.
"Asia Society is committed to building a transformational Board of Trustees, one that reflects the diversity of leadership needed to help guide the world through this historic era of Asia's rise. We are thrilled to welcome this exciting group of accomplished global leaders who will truly enhance our efforts around the world,” said Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran.
Asia Society also elected Lulu Wang as a Vice Chair. Sheeran thanked Wang for her involvement and her service and stewardship, saying, “Lulu’s business acumen, energy and enthusiasm for Asia Society’s role in advancing the U.S.-Asia relationship is vital to our work.”
Biographies of the newest Trustees follow.
Beth Dozoretz
"Beth Dozortez has a keen appreciation of the power of the arts to connect cultures and build understanding, which was Asia Society's founding principle," said Sheeran.
Beth Dozoretz has an extensive background in business management, strategic planning, new business development and marketing, as well as many years of involvement in civic and community affairs. Most recently, Ms. Dozoretz served as Director of Art in Embassies at the State Department overseeing the placement of art in embassies around the world, and enhancing the cultural exchange aspects of the program.
Ms. Dozoretz spent a number of years working in senior management in the apparel industry, including as the first female executive of Casual Corner and President of S & T Industries. She also worked in the healthcare industry, as Senior Vice President of First Hospital Corporation Health Systems, a privately owned behavioral health care services company.
Ms. Dozoretz has been actively involved in Democratic politics for several years. In 1994, she chaired the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Trustees Major Donor Program and, during the ’96 Clinton-Gore Campaign, was Vice-Chair of the Campaign and of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. In 1999, Ms. Dozoretz served as DNC Finance Chair, the first woman ever to hold that position. She served as Finance Co-chair for the presidential campaigns of John Kerry (2004) and Hillary Clinton (2008).
Ms. Dozoretz has served as Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at the Kennedy School at Harvard University, and on the boards of the Brookings Institutione’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Queen Rania’s Jordan River Foundation, Washington DC Teach for America, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum.
Strive Masiyiwa
Founder and Executive Chairman, Econet Wireless
"Strive Masiyiwa is a truly transformational leader, building bridges of understanding and action to improve the lives of millions. Asia’s rise impacts all nations and strive will help us ensure a greater inclusiveness in this historic shift in global power and opportunity," Sheeran said.
Strive Masiyiwa is the chairman and founder of Econet Wireless, a diversified telecommunications group with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific. His business interests also include renewable energy, water treatment, beverage bottling, financial services and hospitality.
Mr. Masiyiwa serves on a number of international boards, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Advisory Board, the Africa Progress Panel, the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board for Sustainable Energy, Morehouse College and the Hilton Foundation's Humanitarian Prize Jury. He is one of the founders, with Sir Richard Branson, of the global think tank, the Carbon War Room, and a founding member of the Global Business Coalition on Education.
Mr. Masiyiwa took over the Chairmanship of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) from Kofi Annan. He is also Chair of the Micronutrient Initiative, a global organization focused on improving nutrition. In 2012, he was invited by President Obama to address leaders at the Camp David G-8 Summit on how to increase food production and end hunger in parts of Africa. Over the years Mr. Masiyiwa has served on many international boards, and has also been involved in numerous initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and social development in Africa. As a philanthropist, Masiyiwa is a member of the Giving Pledge, and his contributions to education, health and development have been widely recognized. Masiyiwa and his wife finance the Higher Life Foundation, which provides scholarships to over 42,000 African orphans. In 2014, Masiyiwa was selected to Fortune Magazine’s list of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders”. He is also a member of the Committee of Conscience at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Asheet Mehta
Director, McKinsey & Company
"McKinsey has been a vital partner with Asia Society, helping craft our strategy for global engagement given the impact of Asia's rise. We welcome Asheet Mehta and the strategic vision he will bring to our work," said Sheeran.
Asheet Mehta is a Director in McKinsey & Company’s New York Office, where he has served a broad range of players across the financial services industry and the public sector. He leads the Financial Services practice in the Americas and Co-leads the Financial Services Practice globally. The Financial Services practice serves universal banks, wholesale and retail banks, payments providers, exchanges and infrastructure companies.
Mr. Mehta has deep expertise in financial services, having served clients which include universal banks, wholesale and retail banks, insurance and credit card companies as well as wealth and asset managers. Client engagement topics have ranged from corporate strategy, organization, marketing, and operations, technology, as well as risk and regulation across the full range of wholesale and consumer financial products and services.
Mr. Mehta has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and an M.B.A. with High Honors in Finance and Production Management from the University of Chicago. He is the former President and a current board member of Partnership with Children, a not-for-profit that serves at-risk children in New York City’s Public Schools.
The Honorable Kevin Rudd
President, Asia Society Policy Institute
"Kevin Rudd's public career," said Sheeran, "and his many accomplishments as Australia's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, combined with his deep knowledge of Chinese culture and language, make him the ideal choice to lead the Asia Society Policy Institute and to join our Board of Trustees."
The Hon. Kevin Rudd joined the Asia Society Policy Institute as its inaugural President in January 2015. He served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister (2007-2010, 2013) and as Foreign Minister (2010-2012). He led Australia’s response during the global financial crisis — the only major developed economy not to go into recession — and helped found the G20. Mr. Rudd is a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School where in 2014-15 he completed a major policy report on "Alternative Futures for U.S.-China Relations." As Chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, Mr. Rudd is also leading a 2015-16 review of the UN system.
Mr. Rudd is a Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House in London, a Distinguished Statesman with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Paulson Institute in Chicago. Mr. Rudd is a member of the Comprehensive Test Ban Organization's Group of Eminent Persons. He is proficient in Mandarin Chinese, serves as a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and co-Chairs the China Global Affairs Council of the World Economic Forum.
As Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr. Rudd was active in regional and global foreign policy leadership. He was a driving force in expanding the East Asia Summit to include both the U.S. and Russia in 2010, having in 2008 launched an initiative for the long-term transformation of the EAS into a wider Asia Pacific Community. On climate change, Mr. Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2007 and legislated in 2008 for a 20% mandatory renewable energy target for Australia. He represented Australia at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, which produced the Copenhagen Accord, for the first time committing states to not allow temperature increases beyond two degrees. He was a member of the UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and is a co-author of the report "Resilient People, Resilient Planet" for the 2012 Rio+20 Conference. Mr. Rudd drove Australia’s successful bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2012-14. His Government also saw the near doubling of Australia's foreign aid budget to approximately $5 billion, making Australia then one of the top 10 aid donors in the world. He also appointed Australia's first ever Ambassador for Women and Girls to support the critical role of women in development and reduce physical and sexual violence against women.
Mr. Rudd in his private capacity has established the National Apology Foundation to continue the work of reconciliation and closing the gap with Indigenous Australians, as well as the Asia Pacific Community Foundation to promote regional security, economic, and environmental cooperation, and the development of effective regional institutional architecture for the future.
Neil Shen
Founding Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital China
"As one of China's most successful investors and entrepreneurs, Neil Shen will help advance our many initiatives vis-a-vis China," said Sheeran.
Neil Shen, Founding Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China, has led investments in many high-growth Chinese companies including SINA.com, Qiho 360, Noah Finance, JD.com, Momo and Alibaba Group. He is a co-founder and director of Ctrip.com, where he had been its President and CFO before founding Sequoia Capital China. He is also a co-founder and co-chairman of Home Inns, the leading economy hotel chain in China. Mr. Shen was a “Forbes Global Midas List” in 2012-2014, as the highest-ranking investor from China, and has been named the "No. 1 Venture Capitalist in China” for four consecutive years by Forbes.
Before founding Ctrip, Mr. Shen worked for more than eight years in investment banking in New York and Hong Kong. He was a Director and Head of Global Markets for China at Deutsche Bank from 1996 to 1999. Prior to 1996, he worked at Chemical Bank, Lehman Brothers and Citibank in various investment banking areas.
Mr. Shen is a Rotating President and Director of the China Entrepreneur Forum (CEF), Board Chairman of the Yale Leadership Centre in China, Board Director of Teach for China, Vice Chairman of Beijing Private Equity Association, and Vice Chairman of Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce Shanghai. Mr. Shen received his Master's degree from Yale University and his Bachelor's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala
President and Chief Operating Officer, Ayala Corporation
“Fernando Zobel de Ayala’s roots with Asia Society go back to his family’s longtime support for our Philippines Center, and their ongoing commitment to the arts, so we are especially pleased that he has joined our Board,” said Sheeran.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala is president and chief operating officer of Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines' largest conglomerates involved in real estate, financial services, telecommunications, water, electronics, automotive, international investments, business process outsourcing and power generation.
He is board chairman of Ayala Land and Manila Water Company; Vice chairman of the executive committee of Bank of the Philippine Islands and board member of Globe Telecom. He is co- chairman of Ayala Foundation, which has projects in education, art and culture, environment and sustainable development.
Mr. Zobel de Ayala is a member of the INSEAD East Asia Council, and the World Presidents' Organization. He is a member of the Board of Habitat for Humanity International and the chairman of the steering committee of Habitat for Humanity's Asia Pacific Capital Campaign.
In the Philippines, he is involved in the Harvard Club of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, and Philippine- Singapore Business Council. He is a board member of the National Museum, Caritas Manila, the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church, Pasig River Rehabilitation Advisory Board, Pilipinas Shell Corporation, and Pilipinas Shell Foundation. Mr. Zobel de Ayala holds a liberal arts degree from Harvard College and a CIM from INSEAD, France.
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