Abel Lee joined the World Economic Forum in 2008 and is currently the Head of Financial Services Industry Partner Engagement. He is responsible for curating the WEF’s engagement with the Financial Services Industry across banking, insurance, asset management, exchanges, rating agencies, data analytics, and market infrastructure companies. Trained as a strategic analyst, he has a proven track record as a key account executive and community convener with a demonstrated history of working in both the corporate and public policy

environments. He is knowledgeable in insurance industry transformational trends and challenges, macroeconomic and policy analysis, financial market and regulatory environment, corporate development and strategy, team building, and organizational leadership development.

Between 2008 and 2018, Lee was a Director and Head of the WEF’s Insurance. As the industry braved the financial crisis, Lee oversaw the financial services industry agenda and the sector’s public-private policy dialogues in Davos. He built the industry community and led the Insurance Global Agenda Council, working with CEOs, regulators, and other thought leaders. He also championed three multi-stakeholder industry initiatives:

1. Adaptation to Natural Disasters;
2. Creating Future Social Protection Systems; and
3. Mitigating Risks in the Innovation Economy.

Lee started his career as a Political Affairs Officer in the Taiwan Army and worked for the World Bank and the IFC on China, SME and NPL-related projects, and financial market reforms research. From 2004 to 2008, he was a senior analyst heading up AIG’s Corporate Research & Development function for Greater China and advising AIG’s corporate and strategic initiatives as well as conducting sovereign risk research for the region.

Lee holds a BA in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University in Taiwan, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and an MSFS from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He completed a three-year Global Leadership Fellowship at the World Economic Forum and conducted PhD-level research at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University’s Graduate School of Governance and Policy Analysis in the Netherlands.