Go to the Head of the Class

By B. J. Lee

The global financial crisis provided a showcase for South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's management skills. Drawing on his experience as a former Hyundai CEO, Lee guided Korea Inc. through the storm, slashing interest rates to historic lows, setting up funds to save troubled banks and companies, and striking currency-swap deals to secure dwindling foreign-currency reserves. The result: the fastest economic recovery among OECD nations, and forecasts of 5.8 percent growth in 2010 (the highest rate among developed economies). His talent will again be on display at the upcoming G20 summit in November in Seoul, which South Korea will host and chair. Given that the summit's main purpose is to prevent another global economic crisis, Lee's skills will surely be in high demand.