Early Life
Thai Lee was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1958. Her family moved frequently due to her father's work as a Korean economist. She spent most of her childhood in South Korea. In her teens, she moved to the United States and attended high school. She then pursued higher education at Amherst College, earning degrees in biology and economics.
Rise to Success
After graduating from Amherst College, Lee earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985. She became the first Korean woman to graduate from Harvard Business School. Lee began her career with roles at Procter & Gamble and American Express. In 1989, she co-founded SHI International with her then-husband, Leo KoGuan, acquiring a small software reseller for under $1 million. She transformed it into a global IT solutions provider.
Key Business Strategies
Lee's strategy focused on long-term perspective, creating a workplace where employees were valued, and exceeding customer expectations. SHI's success is also attributed to its high customer retention rate. The company expanded its operations globally. Lee has also been known to empower her employees, giving them autonomy to deal with customers.
Philanthropy
Lee is known to donate to educational charities and cancer research societies. She serves as a Life Trustee at Amherst College.