[Power K-Women] Illeina Lee "Opportunities Sometimes Come Roughly... Embrace Failures and Mistakes to Understand Myself"

Illeina Lee, CNN International Senior Vice President
The highest-ranking executive at CNN Overseas Headquarters, first Asian woman to hold the position
News discussed by the entire team, not alone... Respect for team members is the foundation of success
Life mentor who inspired her is her mother, Do Youngshim, Chairperson of the UN Step Foundation
To become a global leader, one must embrace diverse perspectives and cultures

Editor's NoteAsia Economy will select women who are active not only in Asia but around the world as 'Power K-Women' at the Women's Leaders Forum to be held this October. We have chosen individuals who have overcome and broken down barriers such as race, borders, and disabilities as 'Power K-Women.' This is to widely promote the value of those who have not been intimidated by discrimination or confined by boundaries but have fought back, and to convey new values of leadership to youth and women. Their stories will provide comfort to a weary world, become role models for someone, and give the community the strength to move forward again.
Date ｜ Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 9:00 AM ? 5:20 PM
Venue ｜ Lotte Hotel Crystal Ballroom (2F), Sogong-dong
※For details, please refer to '2022 Women's Leaders Forum' at the top of the Asia Economy homepage.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] "Opportunities do not wait for someone to be ready. Sometimes the opportunities come knocking roughly."

Ilaina Lee, Senior Vice President of CNN International Asia-Pacific and Head of Global Planning Content, recalled when she was first offered the youngest regional head position in the Asia-Pacific region in 2006. It was a rapid promotion just nine years after joining the company. In a recent written interview with Asia Economy, Lee confessed that when she was first offered the position, she felt unprepared due to the pressure of becoming the youngest executive. She asked her superior for time to prepare, but her superior replied, "(You are) already ready."

Less than ten years after becoming the Asia-Pacific regional head, Lee was promoted in 2014 to Senior Vice President, the highest executive position in CNN's overseas divisions (outside the U.S.). It was a thrilling moment as she became the first Asian woman to hold a key executive position at a global news channel. Having broken through barriers of age, race, and gender, she worked at CNN for 25 years, including eight years as Senior Vice President.

Lee shared an anecdote from early in her tenure as Asia-Pacific Senior Vice President, when nine out of ten times she went to external meetings, she was mistaken for an interpreter. She said, "Because CNN is an American company, people usually expected a white male or an Asian male to represent CNN at meetings." Despite such situations, Lee firmly stated, "I have always felt respected at CNN regardless of race or gender, and that is why I was able to work there for 25 years. I cannot work where my opinions are not respected."

◇"CNN Does Not Work Alone... Efforts Needed to Increase Diversity in Talent Selection"

Lee spends her entire day with the news, from early morning to late at night. She reviews news to be focused on in the morning editorial meeting, communicates constantly with teams in Hong Kong and Asia during the day, and with the UK in the afternoon and the U.S. in the evening, maintaining global communication. As a top executive at a global news channel, she must make dozens or hundreds of decisions even in short moments. She said, "Curiosity about the world and the relationships I build based on that curiosity are necessary, and I must bring all this connectivity into the newsroom," expressing the heavy responsibility she feels in deciding agenda and reporting news.

Lee led CNN's coverage during the 2018 North Korea?U.S. summit and the 2019 inter-Korean summit. A major help in managing the reporting team was her experience covering the 2017 documentary ‘Secret State: Inside North Korea.’ Lee explained, "During the documentary coverage, I visited North Korea several times with CNN correspondent Will Ripley, persuading North Koreans to speak freely to foreign journalists without restrictions." This documentary became the proudest achievement of Lee's reporting and coverage since joining CNN in 1997.

Ilana Lee, CNN Executive Vice President, who visited North Korea in 2017 (third from the left), and correspondents Will Ripley (far left), Tim Swartz (second from the left), and Justin Robertson. (Photo by CNN)

Lee mentioned the importance of the ‘team’ several times during the interview. When deciding on news, the entire team, not just one person, understands and prepares the issues, then discusses and judges them together in editorial meetings. She emphasized, "CNN works in some of the most challenging places worldwide and always as a team. We never work alone. Even the smartest person will not be followed by colleagues if they do not know how to work together. Such a person cannot endure long." Respecting and admiring team members was the foundation of her success.

Lee also leads efforts to strengthen diversity at CNN. She is a founding member of CNN's International Diversity Committee. Members from around the world meet monthly to discuss ways to enhance DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in CNN's business and content. When asked what efforts are needed for women’s status in the workplace to rise further at this point, Lee stressed, "It is very important to gather people representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives to brainstorm together. More efforts are needed to increase diversity when selecting talent, especially at senior levels."

◇"Embrace Failure and Mistakes to Discover Yourself"

Lee completed high school in Korea before going to study in the U.S. She graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in History and International Relations and earned a master's degree from New York University’s Journalism School. She joined CNN New York as a producer in 1997. She revealed that her background in journalism was influenced by her school days in Korea. Lee recalled, "I spent my school years in the 1980s, a time when Korea rapidly transitioned from military dictatorship to democracy, witnessing explosive growth in democracy and freedom." Her family often discussed political issues and events inside and outside Korea, naturally sparking her interest in history and politics. She said, "During that time, the media developed explosively, and I learned deeply the difference between quality journalism delivering truthful news and ugly media that did not take responsibility for the truth."

Having spent her twenties in the U.S., she experienced identity confusion between being Korean and American. She said, "Fortunately, as I grew older, I was able to embrace diversity as a blessing. I consider it a privilege to freely switch and express thoughts and feelings across various cultures." Although Lee has achieved great success since joining CNN, her life there was not always easy. After four hectic years in New York, she suffered burnout. After taking a three-month break in Seoul, she submitted her resignation to spend time with family, but CNN persuaded her to stay. She took on a new role at CNN’s Hong Kong bureau, where she rediscovered her passion.

(Photo by CNN)

Lee’s life mentor who inspired her is her mother, Do Youngshim, Chairwoman of the STEP Foundation under the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Do was rare for a woman in the 1960s to study abroad in the U.S., earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master's from the University of Oklahoma before returning to Korea and serving as a 13th National Assembly member. Lee explained, "My mother was born the youngest of five sisters in a Korean society where men enjoyed privileges and superior treatment within families. My grandfather’s desire for his daughters to receive education and join the male-dominated society as social members had a huge impact on our family." Following her mother’s example, Lee chose to study in the U.S. and work at CNN.

When asked about her stress relief methods amid busy days, Lee answered, "I stay in stillness." She said that whenever she has time, she puts down electronic devices, distances herself from noise, and spends time in nature through walks or hikes to rest.

When asked what advice she would give to junior journalists and female workers, she advised, "Accept failure and mistakes." She said, "You can learn a lot about yourself through the process of knowing how to start again from your failures and learning to embrace others’ mistakes." She also emphasized that becoming a global leader requires not just learning languages but accepting diverse perspectives and cultures and cultivating curiosity to take an interest in other cultures.

▲Bachelor’s in History and International Relations, Georgetown University ▲Master’s in Journalism, New York University ▲Joined CNN New York as Producer in 1997 ▲(Current) Senior Vice President, CNN International Asia-Pacific (2014~) ▲Selected as Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum (2007) ▲Received ContentAsia’s ‘Asia’s Woman Journalist of the Year’ Award (2018) ▲Selected as Asia 21 Young Leader by Asia Society (2018)