Kai-yan Lee

Kai-yan Lee
Managing Director
Vanke

Since 2013, Kai has led the strategic expansion of Vanke’s business in the United States and, under his leadership, the firm has undertaken a series of major real estate projects in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Kai has also been a Director of the Hong Kong public listed company Vanke Overseas Investment Holding Co Ltd, (HKEX: 1036) since October 2018.

Previously, Kai served as Head of the Real Estate Industry Group at the World Economic Forum, responsible for its global real estate industry work and advocacy for safer real estate financial markets. Before that, he served at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston during the great financial crisis, with a focus on mortgage market stabilization and the housing market recovery. Prior to that, Kai held various development-related roles in California, including serving as a Redevelopment Commissioner and working on regional infrastructure projects.

Kai obtained his B.A. summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley, and his graduate degrees from Harvard University and MIT. He regularly addresses professional and university real estate fora and is a board member of several national nonprofit organizations and industry/professional associations. Kai enjoys traveling, long-distance running, architecture, modern art, and hiking.