Deborah Lehr is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Meridian International Center, Chief Executive Officer of Basilinna, and Executive Director of the Paulson Institute, founded by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.

Throughout her career, Deborah has worked at the intersection of international affairs, business, and culture. She is the founder and Chairman of the Antiquities Coalition, a global alliance dedicated to protecting cultural heritage and combating the illicit trade in antiquities. In recognition of her leadership in this field, she received the prestigious Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund and was recognized by UNESCO as one of its accomplished global women.

Deborah has held senior leadership positions across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Global Advisory, which she launched and grew into a leading international business advisory practice. Earlier in her career, she served as a Senior Advisor to the CEO of Merrill Lynch and as a Senior Managing Director at the New York Stock Exchange. In government, she served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China and Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.

She serves on the boards of the National Geographic Society, the World Monuments Fund, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Middle East Institute, and on the advisory boards of Sesame Workshop and ALIPH Foundation.