Philip W. Yun

Philip Yun has spent more than 35 years at the intersection of global affairs and civic life — not as an observer, but as someone who has had to make things work. With deep roots in the Asia Pacific and long-standing networks across government, philanthropy, and civil society, he has built institutions, brokered difficult conversations, and helped organizations find their footing in a fast-changing world.

Few people in public affairs have tested their instincts at the level Philip has. At the U.S. Department of State, he served as a senior policy adviser on East Asian and Pacific affairs, sat in the offices of world leaders across Asia, and traveled to Pyongyang as part of Secretary Madeleine Albright’s historic delegation to negotiate on nuclear weapons. He understands, from the inside, how policy gets made, where it breaks down, and what it takes to move it forward.

That instinct carried into his nonprofit and civic work. As Co-CEO of Commonwealth Club World Affairs and formerly CEO of World Affairs, he led organizations through mergers, governance reform, and pandemic disruption. At Ploughshares Fund, he co-founded N Square, a $6M collaboration reimagining how to address nuclear risk. He brings the credibility of someone who has sat at the table on the world’s hardest problems — and the humility to know that good communications starts with listening.