LEADERSHIP TEAM
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Lei Wang
Chairman
Dr. Lei Wang is the Chairman of WP Care and also Group Chairman of WP Investment, responsible for the multi-billion US$ business covering resources & new materials, real estate, education and technology ventures. He is the Chairman of Korea Sotheby’s International Realty.
Lei held senior management roles in Royal Dutch Shell in both upstream and downstream across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. He earned his PhD from Cambridge Judge Business School, master’s degree at the London School of Economics. Lei was a Fellow of Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and an alumni council member of Cambridge Judge Business School. He is a Fellow of Energy Institute and Chairman of Energy Institute China Branch.
Ms. Tiffany Park
Co-Chairman
Tiffany is the Co-Chairman of WP Care and also WP Investment. She is the Co-Chairman of Korea Sotheby’s International Realty.
Tiffany holds a record for the highest price real estate sales transaction with her successful sales of Hong Kong Central Plaza at 48.3 billion HKD. Tiffany is highly experienced in real estates including acquisition and development of agricultural farms, hot springs, and precious metal mines. In the more recent years, Tiffany actively engaged in M&A of assets and mines and research of smart farm technology and hot spring culture. Tiffany also attended Busan APEC Ministerial Meeting as a representative of Korea. She also attended the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education on Supply Chain and Innovation.
Ms. Kim Do Young
Director
Ms. Kim is a director of WP Care. She has over 30 years’ business executive experiences in publishing and distribution/sales. She started her career as Chosun Ilbo editorial/reporter and expended her experiences in new business set-up and growing business outside Korea. In WP Care, Ms. Kim will be instrumental for developing PPE related distribution and sales.
Paul D. Gyra
International Advisor
Paul Gyra is a seasoned business executive with over 32 years of experience in investment banking and asset management.
Paul joined the Thompson Family Office from Global Investment Bank in Dubai, UAE where he was a managing partner and responsible for cross-border transactions and business development. Prior to that, Paul Gyra was the Chief Operating Officer, Head of Strategy, and Managing Partner at Safanad Limited, based in Dubai and responsible for the principal investment firm’s business operations and strategy across its Dubai, New York and London offices.
Prior to moving to Dubai with Safanad, Paul Gyra previously held CEO positions at ING Alternative Asset Management in New York and Baring Asset Management – North America. During his tenure at ING, Paul also held a number of senior leadership roles based in Hong Kong, New York, Boston, Amsterdam and London on both the investment and distribution sides of ING Group’s asset management businesses. During this period, Paul also played an active role in managing a number of high profile strategic business reorganizations.
Paul started his investment management career at Harvard Management Company in Boston, MA, after transitioning from Ernst and Young where he worked in their financial services practices based in London, Boston and Sydney.
Mr. Gyra is a CPA and received his BS summa cum laude from Providence College and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Paul joined the Thompson Family Office from Global Investment Bank in Dubai, UAE where he was a managing partner and responsible for cross-border transactions and business development. Prior to that, Paul Gyra was the Chief Operating Officer, Head of Strategy, and Managing Partner at Safanad Limited, based in Dubai and responsible for the principal investment firm’s business operations and strategy across its Dubai, New York and London offices.
Prior to moving to Dubai with Safanad, Paul Gyra previously held CEO positions at ING Alternative Asset Management in New York and Baring Asset Management – North America. During his tenure at ING, Paul also held a number of senior leadership roles based in Hong Kong, New York, Boston, Amsterdam and London on both the investment and distribution sides of ING Group’s asset management businesses. During this period, Paul also played an active role in managing a number of high profile strategic business reorganizations.
Paul started his investment management career at Harvard Management Company in Boston, MA, after transitioning from Ernst and Young where he worked in their financial services practices based in London, Boston and Sydney.
Mr. Gyra is a CPA and received his BS summa cum laude from Providence College and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Vasant Kumar
International Advisor
Head of Materials Chemistry Group, Professor in Materials Chemistry,Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy,
Fellow, Director of studies and Tutor of Trinity Hall
Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining,
Qualifications: PhD (McMaster); BTech Hons. (IIT, Bombay)
R Vasant Kumar is Professor and the Head of Materials Chemistry Group and a Fellow of Trinity Hall in University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Metallurgy. He has published over 320 papers, 18 patents, 5 Chapters in Handbooks and 1 edited book (High energy density Li batteries, Wiley-VCH 2010, also translated in Chinese, 2013, 2nd Edition in 2019). He has supervised over 40 PhD students, 35 post-doctoral researchers, 20 visiting students and hosted over 15 visiting professors. He is Honorary/Guest Professor in three Universities in China (2008, 2012 and 2016). Has received Honorary Engineering Degree in University of Malaysia (2011), Kroll Medal from IOM3 for translating research into industrial applications (2014). He is the Editor-in-Chief of IOM3 journal, “Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy” from 2004 and a Board Member of IOM3’s Technical Division. Many of his research has led to licenses and industrial practices and he has founded four start-up companies which are commercialising some of his inventions. Currently, Professor Kumar’s research group is working on a number of research projects underpinned by harnessing of electrochemical reactions in a variety of applications that range from energy devices such as batteries and fuel cells to environmental research in mineral carbonation, sensors, sustainability and recycling of materials and photocatalytic reactions.
Derkhern Kim
Director
Derkhern is famous for his contribution in the design of many casinos and hotels in operation currently in Korea including COEX Oakwood Hotel & 7 Luck Casino, Sharaton Grand Walkerhill VVIP Casino, Shilla Hotel Seoul, Incheon Ramada Hotel Design, Toyota Bundang, NHN HQ building, and the Seoul City Hall. More than 25 years of experience enables him to be an expert in construction and project management as well. Derkhern will lead his team in building the most luxurious yet highly functional properties all over Korea. He is also the chief architect for Korea Sotheby’s International Realty.