The Asia Foundation has announced that Gina Despres, a senior vice president at Capital Research and Management Company, and Chien Lee, a Hong Kong-based private investor, have joined its Board of Trustees.

Their Board membership will be invaluable as the Foundation continues to create and support programs to strengthen institutions of governance, expand economic opportunity, and encourage citizen participation and civic engagement including increasing women's participation in these areas.

Their guidance will help strengthen positive relations between the United States and Asia, one of the important goals of the Foundation. This added expertise to the Foundation's leadership will be critical as it prepares to assist Afghanistan in the coordination of the September 18 National Assembly Elections and to participate in a $10 million G-8 Business Climate Pilot Project to support Indonesia.

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, and open Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance and law, economic reform and development, women's empowerment, and international relations.

"We are tremendously pleased to welcome our new trustees-individuals of great vision and commitment," said Douglas Bereuter, president of The Asia Foundation. "Their experiences and expertise — from the financial markets to foreign relations to law — will help us to continue addressing important issues throughout the Asia-Pacific region."

Gina Despres is a senior vice president at Capital Research and Management Company and is chairman of the company's global investments committee. Prior to joining the company in 1991, she was tax counsel and foreign policy advisor for Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey. She also practiced law in firms in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Ms. Despres is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Women's Forum, and the editorial advisory board of The International Economy Magazine, the quarterly magazine of international financial policy, economic trends, and international trade.

Chien Lee is a private investor based in Hong Kong. He serves as a director for Hysan Development Company Limited and as a non-executive director of Swire Pacific Limited and Television Broadcasts Limited. He is chairman of the Executive Committee of the Outward Bound Trust of Hong Kong and Deputy Chairman of Outward Bound International. Mr. Lee has served on the Board of Trustees of Stanford University and the Board of the Stanford Alumni Association, and is currently on the Board of Visitors of the Stanford Institute for International Studies and the Advisory Council of the Graduate School of Business. He is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center and the Hong Kong Leadership Council of the Asia Foundation.

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