Meet Bahi — Chief Counsel at Coupang

Coupang is building diverse and inclusive teams with people like Bahi who brings her unique experience and background as a leader who believes in helping her colleagues expand their skillsets and succeed. Continue reading for Bahi’s advice to aspiring female leaders in the field.

Please introduce yourself.

Hi, I am Bahi from the US. I am part of the Corporate Securities, M&A, and Governance and Securities team at Coupang. Before joining the team, I worked at one of the largest global retailers based in the US.

I am a Chief Counsel at Coupang. My team supports the company in fulfilling its obligation as a public company listed on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange).

US public companies have disclosure obligations to their investors and shareholders and I have been involved in this type of work for a few decades. I have the ability to understand the laws and nuances of the laws created by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), NYSE, and the US court systems. I have also worked in the retail industry which is very useful for working at Coupang. 

Sounds like you’ve been building a successful career in the US. What brought you to Coupang?

Moving to Seoul was probably my biggest professional adventure as my type of work is usually done in the US. However, I was very excited about Coupang as it has a very compelling story — from how far they have grown to becoming a US publicly listed company hot on the heels of other successes. It was intriguing to be in a company that is on the front end of the growth trajectory. My family was excited as it gave us the chance to move to Seoul. But Coupang also makes our lives easier every day with convenient shopping and meal delivery experiences.

As one of the respected leaders at Coupang, any leadership lesson you’d like to share? 

I'd say always speak up and ask questions if you are not sure of anything. A lot of people do not ask questions or assume they know the answer. But sometimes it turns out to be a bigger problem than expected.

Decide how you want your future to look as early as possible. Plan your career and personal goals to help get you in that direction but be flexible to make changes as needed because life is unpredictable.

As a female with diverse background and experiences, how do you feel Coupang is doing in terms of embracing diversity?

I have been pleasantly surprised at the women in management roles at Coupang. I can tell a diverse workforce is not only the right thing to do for employees, but it allows us to continue driving innovation for our customers. Customers and investors are requesting more gender-balanced leadership and we currently anticipate those demands before the governing entities enact regulations requiring companies to become more gender-balanced from the top of leadership down to the lowest rungs of the company. 

I appreciate the support I have received to be able to settle into the company quickly and start in the role. Gender, ethnicity, or any background has never seemed to be a hindrance to me at Coupang. 

Coupang values diversity and inclusion. We will continue our journey to create a workplace where everyone's voices and opinions are heard. If you are interested in Coupang's diverse and inclusive culture, learn more opportunities with us. To explore job opportunities at Coupang, visit our "Teams" page.