The 2002 AWIB Corporate Leadership Award Winner - Betty Gee Meh

Born and raised in New York City, Betty Gee Mah is a first generation Chinese-American. The struggles of her father, an immigrant from China, were an inspiration for Betty and her 5 siblings. All six siblings achieved graduate degrees and have been recognized for their prominence in their chosen fields.

Betty excelled in academics. She attended Stuyvesant High School, in the second class to accept girls in what was an all boys' school prior to 1969. She graduated from Barnard College magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1979.

Following graduation from Harvard, Betty joined the Sales and Trading Program at Salomon Brothers. She was a high producing salesperson for nine years in Fixed Income Sales when she was promoted to managing a sales group within the Corporate Bond Department. Four years later, Betty had her first child and she encountered for the first time the difficulties of juggling family and professional demands. After her first child was born, she gave up her management responsibilities and accepted a position as a salesperson. To many, this was regarded as a "demotion" or a step off the fast track, but Betty realized that her family was her greatest priority and she was willing to make the professional sacrifice. There are few role models for working mothers in dual career families but remembering her parents, she realized that family came first.

There were bumpy periods in Betty's career following motherhood. Last year, she took a two-month leave of absence to spend time with her father in his last months after he was suddenly diagnosed with melanoma. Later that same year, Betty was promoted to Managing Director.

Betty's story resonates with many other working women who are stretched in many directions as a wife, mother, daughter, and professional. Her elevation to managing director was perhaps delayed because of her trade-offs, but she ultimately achieved that status while fulfilling her family obligations.

Betty lives on the Upper East Side with her husband and two sons, ages 6 and 10. She is supporter of arts and cultural institutions, and her son's school. She maintains her cultural roots by maintaining ties to the Chinatown community through her church, family organizations, and charities.

Back to AWIB's Successful Asian Women Entrepreneurs of 2002