Chair of the Technical Committee

Global Water Partnership

Jaehyang (“Jae”) So is the Chair of the TEC (Technical Committee) of the Global Water Partnership, a global action network with over 3,000 partner organizations in 179 countries.

Jae worked for 30 years at the World Bank Group on a range of development topics, from infrastructure, water, urban development, gender, and public-private partnerships. As Director of Trust Funds and Partnerships, Jae strengthened the World Bank’s corporate and fiduciary management by reforming and simplifying the policy and transactional framework for 45 billion US dollars in external funds under management. Jae was the architect of the World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure Database, an innovative product that serves as the sector's global market leader.

Jae was honorary Sustainable Development Goal Professor of the Ban Ki-Moon Center, Institute of Global Engagement and Empowerment, Yonsei University. She advised the launch of the Global Center on Adaptation. Jae served on the boards of the Global Water Challenge and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council. In 2017, she was awarded the Republic of Korea Prime Minister Citation for promoting Gender Equality.

Before joining the World Bank Group, Jae worked at Monitor Company in Massachusetts, advising Fortune 100-level companies on corporate strategy in Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States. She holds an MBA and a BA in Economics from Stanford University.