Laura Deal Lacey is the executive director for global markets at the Milken Institute. She started as the Institute's first employee in Asia and built its center, programs, and activities in the Asia Pacific region. After nine years with the Institute, Deal Lacey’s role expanded to strategically grow the presence of the Milken Institute in key global markets. Prior to joining the Institute, she was the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. Acting as the face of the organization, Deal Lacey represented the interest of US companies in Singapore and aimed to advance policy and business issues that American companies face in Southeast Asia. Before moving to Asia, she was based in New York and worked in the CEO's office at Edelman, the global communications firm, to promote its leadership and intellectual capital. Deal Lacey started her career in Europe, working for six years at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva, Switzerland. In that role, she was responsible for developing corporate partnerships for WEF events in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Deal Lacey is the chairman of the board of FWD Insurance (Singapore), serves as the independent director on the SGX-listed Pacific Century Regional Development, and is a member of the Singapore Management University's The Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics Advisory Board. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Brazil and has lived on four continents. Deal Lacey holds a BS from Arizona State University, an MS from Columbia University, and an International Directors Program corporate governance certificate from INSEAD in France.