Steven Okun, founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, a Senior Advisor to McLarty Associates, and the Senior Advisor for SE Asia to the Global Private Capital Association, is a regional leader in corporate public affairs, ESG, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement.

A leader in the region’s American business community, he served five terms as Chair of the AmChams of Asia Pacific, three terms as Chair of AmCham Singapore, and now as Head of External Affairs for the American Association of the Indo-Pacific.

He has lived and worked in Singapore since 2003.

He spent the first twelve years of his career in Washington, D.C., including serving in the Administration of President Bill Clinton, receiving the Secretary of Transportation's Award for Special Service Commendation.

Since 2017, APAC Advisors has provided a range of services to clients in the financial services sector, with a focus on sustainability.

As KKR’s first Director of Asia Public Affairs from 2011-2017, his responsibilities encompassed government affairs, communications, stakeholder engagement, and ESG.

Steve created and led UPS Asia’s public affairs practice from 2003 until 2010, building a team based in five markets across the region, having been the U.S. lead for their international aviation negotiating team in Washington, D.C., from 1999-2003.

Steve frequently appears in the media to provide U.S. government, business, and political analysis for CNBC, Al Jazeera, and Channel NewsAsia. He provides the weekly International News Review for MONEY FM (Singapore) and contributes commentary to The Straits Times, The Business Times, Eco-Business, Nikkei Asia, and CNA.

He received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.