MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT
Chi Eun Lee
Chief Transformation Officer
Paysafe
Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.
Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?
My biggest source of inspiration is my older sister. She spent 30 years at JPMorgan, built a demanding career, and raised three daughters along the way. Watching her manage all of that – career, family, responsibility – made a lasting impression on me. It wasn’t glamorous, and it definitely came with sacrifices, but it showed me very early on that it is possible to make it work, even when the odds don’t always feel stacked in your favor.
She’s also been my most consistent mentor. Even though we didn’t work in the same roles, the dynamics of pressure, leadership, and decision-making were always familiar to her. At different stages of my career, she somehow always knew exactly what advice I needed.
I’ve also been deeply influenced by one of the very few female leaders I worked for earlier on. Seeing a woman hold her ground in senior meetings – challenging ideas clearly, calmly, and without over-explaining – was incredibly powerful. You can hear all the advice in the world, but nothing compares to actually seeing someone do it.
Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?
Luck – especially when it comes to people. I’ve been fortunate to work with good leaders and strong teams throughout my career, and I don’t take that lightly. Of course, hard work matters, but many people work hard. Having managers who support you, colleagues you trust, and environments where you can grow makes an enormous difference.
What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?
Perseverance, without a doubt. I started my career in management consulting and then in large Korean corporates, where long hours and intensity were simply part of the culture. That experience set a certain baseline for me early on, both in terms of rigor and resilience.
Across every role I’ve had since, what’s mattered most to me is impact. I’m motivated by doing work that actually changes something, even when that change is incremental or uncomfortable. Not every role delivers that in the same way, but I’ve always pushed myself to leave things better than I found them.
If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?
If I could do one thing differently, I would have actively sought out more female mentors and sponsors earlier in my career. For a long time, I didn’t think about it consciously. I worked in very male-dominated environments, and having male managers was simply the norm. I learned a great deal from them, but I also didn’t realize what I was missing until much later.
Seeing women in leadership, to see how they show up in meetings, how they challenge ideas, how they hold confidence without over-explaining, that has a uniquely powerful impact. It makes leadership feel more tangible and less lonely. Looking back, I think having more of those relationships earlier on would have helped me navigate certain moments with greater confidence and ease. However, every experience shaped how I lead today.
What was your most favourite job/role and why?
My current role in transformation is probably the most challenging role I’ve ever had, and also the most meaningful. It’s the role that has kept me up at night the most, precisely because change at scale is hard and deeply dependent on many people, teams, and conditions beyond any one individual.
That said, working on initiatives that can fundamentally shift how an organization operates is a privilege. Even on the hardest days, I remind myself that meaningful change is rarely comfortable. If it feels difficult, it’s usually because it matters.
Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?
I don’t really have a single favourite quote. What guides me more than a motto are two qualities I consistently come back to: confidence and humility.
They’re often treated as opposites, but in my experience, the most effective leaders have both. Confidence allows you to challenge ideas, make decisions, and lead change without constantly second-guessing yourself. Humility keeps you grounded, open to learning, and genuinely connected to the people around you.
I’ve always been most impressed by leaders who don’t feel the need to dominate a room, but who are clear, direct, and secure enough to listen. That balance is what I try to bring to my own leadership, and what I value most in others.”