Ruth SHAPIRO

Ruth A. Shapiro is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive at the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS). In this role, she developed the vision and strategy for the organisation and recruited the board and team to help create the Centre.

She is the primary author of Pragmatic Philanthropy: Asian Charity Explained, published by Palgrave Macmillan in January 2018. She is the editor of The Real Problem Solvers, a book about social entrepreneurship in America, and also co-authored the book, Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Buildings are Key to Asia’s Future. Her thought leadership has been featured in leading news media, including the Nikkei Asian Review, The Economic Times, and the South China Morning Post. She is a regular global speaker on philanthropy, CSR, and impact investing in Asia.

She founded the Asia Business Council and served as its Executive Director from its inception in 1997 until May 2007. As founder, she recruited Chief Executive Officers and chairpersons in Asia and internationally to convene biannual business leaders’ forums. She was also the Principal of Keyi Strategies, a consultancy specialising in increasing understanding through relationships and expertise sharing among leaders in Asia, Europe and the United States.

She spent the early part of her professional career in the field of international development. Within this field, she held management positions and built new programme areas at the Academy for Educational Development, the Harvard Institute of International Development and Global Outlook.

She holds a PhD in International Development Education from Stanford University, an MEd in International Education from Harvard University, an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University, and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Michigan.