Our Board Members

Meow Yee is currently program director, emerging markets, for IBM Corp.'s System z, or mainframe, division. She is responsible for developing the unit's business strategy and execution plans for growing the company's mainframe business in emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. As the project executive for Asian Initiatives, in Corporate Communications, Meow led and managed a groundbreaking project to drive new levels of collaboration to share best practices across multiple global companies around the Asian marketplace and Asian talent. Prior to that, she spearheaded efforts across IBM to deliver its On Demand Business Strategy in 2004.

While in the Software Group, Meow was the marketing and strategy lead for the corporation's business intelligence software product portfolio. Her career at the world's top provider of computer products and services includes technical accomplishments spanning expert systems research at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, software architecture, design and development and business expertise that includes mergers and acquisitions, marketing and business partner development. She has been recognized within the company with numerous excellence awards for delivering millions of dollars of savings and benefits to IBM.

Meow is president and co-founder of the Asian Women Leadership Network, a multi-company nationwide organization whose membership has grown to about 400 Asian American women in the U.S., and previously served as president of the Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans. She was profiled and photographed for the "Pathways to Power" feature by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen in the Nov. 7, 2005, issue of Time magazine.

In October 2004, Meow received the National Women of Color Technology All Star award. She was honored with the Salute to Women and Racial Justice Technology Award in June 2007 from the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester. More recently, the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, which was created by President Bush in 2003, saluted her with a President's Volunteer Service Award.

Meow graduated with a Master of Science degree in computer science from Imperial College, University of London, and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics with second upper honors from the University of Malaya in Malaysia.

Janice Won, Executive Vice President

Janice Won is a co-active partner of Integrative Strategies Group. She is a consultant, speaker and coach with more than 23 years of corporate human resources experience. Janice was formerly senior vice president of human resources with JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she held positions as a diversity leader, senior human resources generalist and an employee relations executive leading multiple, large-scale merger integrations.

Dedicated to enhancing opportunities and professional effectiveness for diverse talent, Janice believes companies that embrace inclusive leadership can capitalize on the contributions of Asians. She works with clients to create and implement targeted approaches for leadership development and strategies that advance talent for the executive pipeline. Janice is a trained co-active coach and experienced facilitator. She is frequently invited to speak on Asians and multicultural women in corporate management.

In addition, Janice is an affiliate consultant of The FutureWork Institute Inc. and a certified instructor for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics Inc. (LEAP). She co-founded JPMorgan Chase's Asian and Women of Color networks and was the architect of their professional development strategies. Recognizing the need for a national platform for Asian women, Janice co-founded the nonprofit Asian Women Leadership Network. She is a founding sister and an executive vice president of AWLN.

Janice has served on the Board of Directors of the New York Chinese Cultural Center, and she has conducted research in the area of philanthropy for The City University of New York Graduate Center's Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society (CPCS). A graduate of Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, Janice currently resides in New York City.

 

Iris Chau, Treasurer, Secretary and Website Chair

Iris is the co-founder of GreenSoul Shoes, a charitable organization dedicated to providing footwear for underprivileged children in an environmentally responsible fashion. She is a former vice president of equity research technology at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where for eleven years she has implemented enterprisewide systems in the areas of search and content management. She created many applications to support the research business. Prior to JPMorgan Chase & Co., she was the Technical Resources manager for IKON Office Solutions, specializing in Document Management.

Iris sits on the Board of Directors of the Asian Women Leadership Network and she was an executive member of AsPIRE (Asians and Pacific Islanders Reaching for Excellence), JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Asian employee networking group. Iris also served from 2001 to 2004 as a member of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Diversity Council through which she helped drive the diversity agenda for the $116.35 billion financial-services firm.

In her spare time, she volunteers for APEX: The Asian Professional Exchange and the Guiding Eyes for the Blind, for which she and her husband Alastair are puppy raisers and sitters. She is an avid traveler, shoemaker, cake decorator and dog trainer.

Iris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science from Queens College, The City University of New York. She completed the Executive IT Management program at Columbia University.

 

Linda Akutagawa, VP, Professional Development and Events

Linda Akutagawa is senior vice president of resource and business development at Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics Inc., where she is responsible for LEAP's fund-raising, business development and oversight of program design, development and delivery. Linda is a member of LEAP's Executive Management Team and co-manages the operations of the national nonprofit organization. As chief fundraiser, she develops and executes strategies focused on increasing earned and contributed income, building interest among clients and donors to support and participate in LEAP's leadership programs.

Linda bridges her development and program design and delivery roles through her consulting with LEAP's diverse range of clients, which include nearly 500 nonprofit, community and student organizations; federal, state and local government agencies; colleges and universities; and Fortune 1000 companies. She works with clients locally, nationally and globally to determine the best programs and services to support their Asian talent development needs and brings together the resources needed to deliver a solution. In addition, she collaborates with LEAP's consultants to co-design and customize new and existing programs.

Linda is certified to facilitate LEAP's Leadership Development Program as well as to deliver several of LEAP's foundational courses, including the 21st Century Leadership, Understanding Your Cultural Values, and Effective Work & Communication Styles. She previously was vice president of resource and business development for Los Angeles-based LEAP, developing and implementing fund-raising, marketing and sales strategies for its programs and services.

A beneficiary of LEAP's leadership training, Linda first began as a volunteer for the 501(c)(3) entity. Now in her 17th year there, she speaks and presents globally on topics such as leadership, Asian cultural values and influences, employee resource groups, diversity, networking and branding to a range of audiences such as corporations, student groups and community and professional organizations. Prior to joining LEAP, she was the marketing manager for Japan & Orient Tours Inc., a travel operator specializing in Asia and the Pacific.

Linda serves on the Board Directors of the Asian Women Leadership Network and Japanese American Community Services of Southern California Inc. (JACS), a provider of grants with a focus on community service, leadership development, cultural arts, and health and human services. Linda received her Bachelor of Science in international business with a minor in economics from California State University at Los Angeles. Married, she is auntie to six nieces and nephews ranging in age from one to 21 years old.

 

Lily H. Li, Co-VP, Marketing and Communications

Now a freelance reporter, Lily H. Li recently was a New York-based associate with a boutique diversity recruiting specialist, The Prout Group Inc., and she served on The Alliance for Board Diversity's Communications Committee for ABD's second report on the gender, racial and ethnic composition of corporate directors, Women and Minorities on Fortune 100 Boards, released on January 17, 2008. Her involvement in the recruitment industry began at leading retained executive search firm Spencer Stuart, where she was a research associate in the Board Services Practice.

Prior to her tenure as a recruiter, Lily was a journalist, having been an editor for more than 11 years. She worked on the Metropolitan desks at Newsday (Long Island and New York Newsday) and the Los Angeles Times' Orange County Edition, and on the Business desk at The Times' Home Edition. At Dow Jones Newswires, Lily served as equities slot and Wall Street Journal slot on the Global News Desk. She then joined The Wall Street Journal. During her tenure there, she compiled the World Watch column on the first page of the International section, served as a backup writer for the Business & Finance column on the paper's front page and handled copy for the domestic, European and United Kingdom print editions, including Weekend Journal and Personal Journal.

Before her stints in daily and electronic journalism, Lily accumulated more than seven years of experience in magazines. She did research and letters correspondence work for Money, Life and Discover, and functioned as an editorial assistant at The Executive Female, for which she also wrote book reviews, and at The New Yorker. Her freelance articles were published in the quarterly Chinese American Forum.

Lily graduated from Barnard College with a double major in English and economics. While an undergraduate, she served as a staff reporter and editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. Lily did master's coursework in East Asian studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, both affiliated with the University of London. She then enrolled at the Beijing Languages Institute (now Beijing Language and Culture University), studying Mandarin, foreign trade, cultural contrast and Chinese literature.

Lily serves on the Board of Directors of Asian Women Leadership Network as communications and public relations co-chair, and she functions as AWLN's newsletter editor. Lily recently joined the New York Association of Black Journalists, an affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the world's largest organization for journalists of color.

 

Phoebe Eng, Director

Phoebe Eng, director of Creative Counsel, which showcases the work of talented creative professionals as they promote social justice values, has built strategic partnerships at the intersection of media, communications, and advocacy for more than 15 years with partners such as Working Mother Media, Cox Communications Inc., a range of Fortune 100 companies such as The Procter & Gamble Co., IBM Corp., and JPMorgan Chase & Co., Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., foundations and public agencies. She is a co-founder emeritus of the national think tank, The Opportunity Agenda, where Creative Counsel was incubated.

Phoebe sits on the Advisory Board of Working Mother Media's Best Companies for Women of Color initiative, which produces an annual best practices list, and is the vice chair of the Ms. Foundation for Women, where she has helped conceptualize a fund aimed at elevating the voices of women and minorities in public policy. Phoebe was also the director of The Social Change Communications Project, a research initiative exploring the role of media and communications in social justice advocacy.

She received the New York City Mayor's Innovator Award, the Arthur T. Vanderbilt Medal, and a Distinguished Service Award from the New York University School of Law. Phoebe started her career as a mergers and acquisitions attorney in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong.

 

Jane J.K. Hyun, Director

Jane J.K. Hyun, president and founder of Hyun & Associates Inc., is an executive coach and leadership strategist to Fortune 500 companies, top MBA programs, and nonprofit organizations. Her Bamboo Ceiling Series leadership coaching programs have garnered praise from global Fortune 100 companies in the U.S. and in key international markets. In addition to coaching professionals to maximize their potential and advance their careers, she advises senior management teams and diversity councils on building effective dispersed, multicultural teams and the critical role of the talent pipeline.

Previously, Jane was vice president of human resources at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and director of recruiting at Deloitte & Touche and Resources Connection.

A graduate of Cornell University with a bachelor's degree in economics and international studies, she is active with the Cornell Women's Alumnae Council. Jane is an advisor to the Johnnetta B. Cole Diversity and Inclusion Institute and an Advisory Board member of Ascend (formerly National Asian American Society of Accountants). She is an advisor to the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force/Center for Work Life Policy creators of recent Harvard Business Review studies "Leadership in Your Midst: Tapping the Hidden Strengths of Minority Executives" and "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps for Women in the Workplace."

Jane's work has received international recognition, and she has appeared in a variety of media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, NPR, Time, Fortune, CEO, Working Mother, and Crain's. In 2005, HarperCollins Publishers Inc. released her groundbreaking book, Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians: The Essential Guide to Getting In, Moving Up, and Reaching the Top. She lives in New York City with her family.

 

Charmaine Russo, Director

Charmaine Russo started her public accounting career at Coopers & Lybrand, where she managed general practice, tax, and information-technology audits for the financial-services sector. After four years, she accepted an executive position at Shearson Lehman/American Express to oversee the deployment of a multimillion-dollar brokerage operations IT project.

In 1988, Charmaine joined Credit Suisse First Boston IT Systems and subsequently became one of the 70 founding members to launch a technology start-up. In 1990, she undertook an international assignment to head consulting services and software support in the Benelux region and Iberian Peninsula. After taking some personal time in 1996 to launch a retail company in New York, she accepted a client management position with IBM Network Services. Since 1999, Charmaine held management positions in marketing, sales and supply chain organizations. In August 2006, she joined corporate finance as an audit manager with responsibilities for worldwide IT application audits.

In 2004, Charmaine formed the Tri-State ADNG (Asian Diversity Networking Group) and served as its chairperson until 2006. She also has been a chapter leader for Women in Technology (WIT) in New York City since 2000. Charmaine is a 2001 alumna of Women Unlimited and a member of Asian Women in Business (AWIB). She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Asian Women Leadership Network (AWLN), a nonprofit organization supporting professional Asian women. Passionate about leadership initiatives and women's issues, Charmaine is actively involved in various mentoring programs as well as local charities and community initiatives. She welcomes invitations to speak at local universities and conducts workshops on leadership, networking and communications.

Charmaine holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from Columbia Business School, and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and information systems and a Bachelor of Science in compuer science, both from Queens College, The City University of New York. She attended the Global Leadership Program at the London Business School in 2002 and Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in Beijing, China.

 

Lily Tang, Director

Lily Tang is a consultant, educator and coach helping individuals and organizations more deeply engage talent and more effectively create inclusive work environments. Trained in participant-centered facilitation and relationship-systems coaching, she actively works with individual and institutional clients to strengthen leadership effectiveness, cross-cultural competency, and human capital management.

A co-active partner in the Integrative Strategies Group, Lily assists enterprises in creating and delivering on strategies that enable and inspire Asian leadership contribution. A senior affiliate consultant with The FutureWork Institute Inc., she is experienced in global organizational assessments and has led organizational development projects for Fortune 500 companies on four continents. A cross-cultural consultant for Prudential Financial Inc.'s Prudential Relocation Services, she coaches senior executives in preparation for international assignments.

As a facilitator for the Anti-Defamation League's World of Difference Institute, Lily works with students, teachers and administrators to counter prejudice and bullying in schools. She regularly presents for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics Inc. (LEAP) and coaches graduates of their Executive Director Leadership Program.

Lily previously served as a research panelist for the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) of The National Academies. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of two nonprofit organizations: Asian Women Leadership Network and the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center. She frequently works with nonprofit boards to develop their strategic planning and team-building capacities.

A former journalist and retired chief executive officer of an international business, Lily previously was an assistant professor of psychology and an instructor of intercultural communications. She received a doctorate in psychology and a master's degree in counseling from the State University of New York at Albany. Her Master of Business Administration is from Rutgers University. Originally from Texas, she currently resides with her family in Brooklyn, New York.