Executive Roundtable with Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society President and CEO
VIEW EVENT DETAILSJoin us for Dr. Kyung-wha Kang's first visit to the Bay Area as President and CEO of Asia Society
In April, Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, South Korea’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs joined Asia Society as President and CEO. During her first visit to the Bay Area as President and CEO, on May 2, 2024, Dr. Kang will speak about varying topics such as U.S.-Korea relations, the role of international organizations, her groundbreaking professional path, and developing vision for Asia Society in the year ahead. This program will be moderated by Jack Wadsworth, Advisory Director, Morgan Stanley, Asia Society Northern California Honorary Chair, and Asia Society Trustee Emeritus.
This Executive Roundtable Program from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. is for Innovator, Groundbreaker, Advisory Council, and Board Members. This event is private and off-the-record.
Registration and confirmation are required at least 24 hours before the event. Space is limited. Lunch will be served.
Speaker
Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society President and Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished diplomat who served as South Korea’s 38th Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017 to 2021)—the first woman appointed to this post in the nation’s history, endeavoring to garner global support for South Korea’s initiative to engage with North Korea towards lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. She previously held key leadership roles at the United Nations, including as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Senior Advisor on Policy to Secretary-General António Guterres.
Before joining the United Nations, Dr. Kang held various positions in South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, specializing in multilateral affairs and intergovernmental organizations. Among others, she served as Minister at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, during which she chaired the 48th and 49th sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Furthermore, she spearheaded efforts to highlight women with disabilities in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Dr. Kang graduated from Yonsei University in Korea, with a BA degree in political science and diplomacy, and holds MA and PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the United States. Her doctorate work was in the field of international and intercultural communication. Dr. Kang served as Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Ewha Womans University and is currently Distinguished Professor at the Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment, Yonsei University.
John “Jack” Wadsworth is the Honorary Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and an Advisory Director of Morgan Stanley, globally based in San Francisco. In 1987, he moved to Japan as President of Morgan Stanley Japan, Chairman of its Executive and Operating Committees, and as Head of the Firm’s investment banking business in Asia. In 1991, Mr. Wadsworth moved to Hong Kong as Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia. In 2001, he moved from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Mr. Wadsworth earned a BA from Williams College in 1961, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1963.