Thai Lee
Thai Lee | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 (age 67–68) Bangkok, Thailand |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (BA) Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Known for | CEO and co-founder, SHI International |
| Term | 1989–present |
| Spouse | Leo Koguan (m. 1989–2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Daniel Kie-Hong Lee |
| Relatives | Margaret Lee (older sister) |
Thai Lee (born 1958) is a Thai-born Korean-American billionaire businesswoman, the co-owner, CEO and president of SHI International, reported by Forbes to be the largest woman-owned business in the US in 2012.[1] In May 2025, she was worth US$5.8 billion.[2] She is a member of the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.[3]
Early years
Thai Lee was born in 1958 in Bangkok, Thailand, but spent most of her childhood in South Korea.[4][5] Her family moved frequently due to her father's job as a Korean economist promoting South Korea's postwar development plan.[5] Lee moved to the United States in her teens and attended high school in Amherst.[5][3] She attended Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, earning a double major BA in biology and economics in 1980.[4] She followed in the footsteps of her father, who was the first Korean student to graduate from Amherst College in 1950.[6] Lee went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985.[4] She was the first Korean woman to graduate from the business school.[1][7] Lee served as the first female president of the Amherst College Alumni Society from 2004 to 2005.[4][3]
Awards and recognition
- Life trustee, Amherst College
- Former president, Amherst College Alumni Society[3]
- Harvard University, Dean's Advisory Board
- Distinguished Alumni Award, Harvard Business School
- Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012
- Trustee emeritus, Amherst College[8]
- Harvard Business School, 2013 Alumni Achievement Award[4]
Family
In 1989, Lee married Leo Koguan, a Columbia University graduate, New York Law School-educated lawyer and the co-founder and chairman of SHI.[9] They divorced in 2002.[9]
She has two children.[9] She lives in Austin, Texas.[8]
References
- ^ a b Ewalt, David M. "The Modest Tycoon Behind America's Biggest Woman-Owned Business". Forbes. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "Thai Lee". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ a b c d "Thai Lee '80 | 2014 Honorees | Amherst College". www.amherst.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
- ^ a b c d e Young, Susan (January 2013). "Thai Lee, MBA". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b c "Women who Achieve: Thai Lee". Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
- ^ "Daniel Kie-Hong Lee | Friends of the Library Oral Histories | Amherst College". www.amherst.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
- ^ "Thai Lee '80". Amherst College. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Corporation & Trustees | President & College Leadership | Amherst College". www.amherst.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
- ^ a b c Ewalt, David M. "The Modest Tycoon Behind America's Biggest Woman-Owned Business". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-12-03.