“It all begins with a vision,” said Mason alumna Jean Moe (Business, ’87) who jumpstarted Mason Korea’s “Breaking Barriers: Women in Leadership” Distinguished Lecture Series. The former CEO of Pulmuone Danone and self-established entrepreneur spoke to a room of over 130 students, faculty, and staff about her experiences as a female business leader in the global workplace.
Moe understands the challenges of work-life balance all too well. She was a working mom raising three boys, alone, in the US while living apart from her husband and family. Moe was also the first female to hold leadership positions at global companies in Korea, such as P&G, MSD, LG, and Pulmuone Danone.
In the early days of her career, Moe faced gender stereotypes in a male-dominated workforce. Through the many highs and lows of her leadership journey at global companies, however, Moe found that “creating, executing, and growing a vision” is the key to staying motivated and finding success.
“Beginning with a vision is thinking about something bigger than the past or present,” said Moe. “Having a clear vision will always be a challenge, but having a vision is the future. A future that combines the greatness of an individual and those around them. Though there may be limitations and hardships, declare your vision.”
Moe continued to push forward and gain diverse experiences at global companies, such as Danone and Bausch + Lomb, where she broke through social norms and built a credible portfolio. A “turnaround” portfolio, as Moe calls it, is when one works for a company that is struggling and “makes a big impact and turns the business around.” Moe’s longstanding list of “turnaround” companies in her portfolio motivated her to keep pursuing her entrepreneurial vision.
Today, Moe is the CEO and Founder of Dames, a cosmetics company, and also serves as Co-President of the Precision Nutrition Association. Moe addressed many questions from the crowd and encouraged students to reach out to her personally for further questions.
April 17, 2023