Our management team is comprised of part-time volunteers and full-time staff (based primarily in Beijing/Singapore) with a deep interest and commitment to Korean issues. Choson Exchange is overseen by a Board of Directors, who ensure adequate governance controls and certify our audited financial statements. The board appoints the management team. Workshop leaders volunteer with us to lead workshops in North Korea, prepare educational materials for North Koreans, or take an active role mentoring North Koreans in our international programs outside of North Korea. Our Board of Advisors also support us with strategic advice and relationships.
Choson Exchange is incorporated as a non-profit.
Our Executive Team
Geoffrey K. See | Managing Director, Founder & Board Chairman Geoffrey previously worked for Bain & Co. on private equity, technology and retail cases. He also analyzed economic and political events for the ex-Asia Chief Economist of Société Générale and served in the Singapore Armed Forces. He also sits on the board of a listed Mongolian company in the energy sector. As a Research Affiliate at MIT ('12-'13) and a University Fellow at Yale University ('09-'10), Geoffrey pursued research in entrepreneurship, development and ethics. He presented papers as an award winner at the World Bank ABCDE, $20,000 Cosgrove Prize and APEC CEO Summit. Geoffrey graduated in 2 years with a B.Sc. in Economics (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and completed an M.A. at Yale University. Geoffrey has lived in Singapore, China, Korea and the US and is fluent in Chinese and proficient in Korean.
Andray Abrahamian | Executive Director Andray became interested in Korea issues following a trip to the DMZ in 2003. This inspired an MA in International Relations from the University of Sussex. Upon completion, he started pursuing a PhD focusing on Western media and images of North Korea. Andray also taught international relations at the University of Ulsan. He has published various academic and op-ed articles and been solicited to offer commentary by international news broadcasting organizations. His academic interests include intercultural relations, post-colonialism, Orientalisms, hegemony and US-East Asian relations. Andray speaks Korean.
Hong Mu Song | Consultant, Head of Pyongyang Office Hong is a graduate of Kim Il Sung University’s prestigious political economy department. Over the course of his career, he has actively promoted exchanges on a broad range of fields covering disaster relief, aid, business, economics and law with partners in government, civil society and party positions. He has had good experiences with Chinese and Russians.
Desmond Lim | Associate (Part-time) Desmond became interested in North Korea after a trip to the DMZ, and started volunteering at Choson Exchange since. He has worked in investment banking for UBS and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, South Korea and China, focusing on raising capital for financial institutions and state-owned entities. While serving in the Singapore Armed Forces, Desmond was a Full Lieutenant commissioned by the President of Singapore, and cross-trained in Brunei and Taiwan. He has also represented the Singapore National Team in basketball at the Southeast Asia Youth Games. Desmond graduated from Singapore Management University on a full university scholarship, completing both a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Management in four years. He is currently on leave studying for his MPP at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Our Volunteer Team
Nils Weisensee | Entrepreneurship Programs Shanghai-based German entrepreneur
Ryan Russell | Secretary (CE Inc.), Resident Representative (Seoul) Corporate lawyer, JD (Columbia Law School)
Bing Han | Singapore Programs Hedge Fund Analyst, M.A. New York University
Shawn Zhu | Singapore Programs MBA, National University of Singapore (ongoing)
Joe Hong | Strategy Investment banker in Hong Kong, MBA (Harvard Business School)
Calvin Chua | Design Architect, RIBA (Part II), Architectural Association London
Myung Eun | Communications Private Equity, M.A. John Hopkins SAIS
James Liu | Projects Management Associate at top technology firm, B.Sc. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
Grace Chung | Projects Consultant, MPP Harvard Kennedy School of Government
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