Woochong Um

Woochong Um is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a multi-sector coalition established in 2021 to address one of the most pressing challenges of our era: eradicating energy poverty and combating the climate crisis through an equitable transition to renewable energy. As CEO, Woochong is committed to advancing GEAPP’s mission to unlock sustainable, green energy solutions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean—fostering economic progress, resilience, and inclusive prosperity for all. His leadership brings new momentum to accelerating the clean energy transition in emerging and developing economies, providing millions of people and businesses with better and safer access to power. Before GEAPP, Woochong’s extensive career in international development, spanning over three decades, includes a distinguished tenure at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as Managing Director General. In this role, he led transformative global partnerships and innovative funding mechanisms designed to foster economic growth, sustainability, and community resilience across diverse sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and humanitarian aid. Woochong championed ADB’s environmental and renewable energy agenda, embedding climate action plans at the heart of the bank’s development initiatives. Prior to his role as Managing Director General, Woochong served as Director General for ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department, where he oversaw the bank’s climate finance initiatives, emphasizing private sector engagement and carbon market financing. His portfolio encompassed sustainable infrastructure, social development, governance, environmental safeguards, and public management. Earlier in his tenure at ADB, he served as Secretary, overseeing relationships between shareholders and management. He also played a pivotal role in the Mekong Department, leading major infrastructure projects, including the groundbreaking Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, developed in collaboration with the World Bank. Before joining ADB, Woochong gained valuable private-sector experience as a Corporate Information Systems Specialist at Pfizer Inc. in New York and as Lead Programming Analyst at Pitney Bowes Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut. A Korean national, Woochong holds an MBA in finance and international business from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Management from Boston College.