Esther H. Kim, Harvard Kennedy School

Esther H. Kim is currently heading to the Harvard Kennedy School for the full-time Mid-Career MPA program. Ms. Kim was most formerly the Chief of Staff to BlackRock’s Global Head of Active Equities & Chairman of Alternatives. She established the Executive Investment Governance at BlackRock (the largest investment manager, representing $6.29 trillion AUM as of 2Q18), and also served as the firm’s ambassador for its partnership with Focusing Capital on the Long Term. During her ten years at BlackRock, she worked in a range of roles including sales strategy, product development, competitive analysis, institutional initiatives for Continental Europe, and served as a relationship manager for some of the largest clients including foundations, endowments, pensions, and sovereign wealth funds based in Asian Pacific region. Ms. Kim has previously served at the White House, working in the Office of Public Liaison for African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American constituency groups, hosting sessions at the White House celebrating Cinco de Mayo and honoring Asian American Heritage month. One of her proudest achievements was helping to launch, lead, and develop both BlackRock’s Women Initiative and Multi-Cultural Networks. Ms. Kim has served on the Council of Urban Professionals Fellows Board since 2015 and is passionate about financial wellness for young professionals and the immigrant demographic.