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Joanne Ooi

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Joanne Ooi
Joanne Ooi at the TEDxPearlRiver event
Born (1967-12-13) December 13, 1967 (age 56)
Other namesMotherPlukka
Alma mater
Occupation(s)CEO, Plukka
Known forCreative Director of Shanghai Tang, CEO of Clean Air Network

Joanne Ooi (born December 13, 1967) is a Singaporean American environmentalist, art dealer, marketing expert, founder & CEO of Plukka.[1]

Early life and education

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Ooi is the eldest child of two doctors, who are both Chinese Singaporean. She was born in Singapore, but moved to the Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States.[2] She graduated from Columbia University in 1989 and earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.[3][4]

Career

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Ooi served as the Creative Director of Shanghai Tang for seven years.[3] During her time with the company Ooi chose to focus on clothes that were based on traditional Chinese designs and themes, with sales for Shanghai Tang increasing 50%.[5] Ooi was also one of the first persons to use Chinese models in international advertising campaigns and is credited with launching the career of Chinese supermodel, Du Juan.[6]

Beginning in 2009, Ooi operated as the CEO of the environmental organization Clean Air Network, which focused on air pollution and public health.[7] Ooi, together with fellow Clean Air Network CEO Christine Loh, was nominated for Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential" list in 2011.[8]

Ooi frequently speaks and comments on a wide variety of topics, including luxury retail, ecommerce, digital marketing, creativity and entrepreneurship.

Plukka

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In December 2011 Ooi launched Plukka, an ecommerce website that specializes in fine jewelry.[9] Ooi, together with Jai Waney, chose to open the website after noticing the steep markup for designer jewelry.[10] Plukka’s business model made waves in the industry for its made-to-order platform that cut out the middlemen associated with traditional fine-jewellery distribution. This approach allows it to maintain extremely competitive pricing while offering directional and artistic jewellery that might be considered too risky or creative for conventional retailers.[11]

Personal life

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She lives in Hong Kong with her husband John and son Sam.[2]

Awards

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  • 2011: Nominated for Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list
  • 2013: Most Promising Entrepreneur, Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards[12]

References

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  1. ^ Jana, Reena. "China Goes Luxury". Business Week. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b Iorio, Karen (Winter 2012–13). "Joanne Ooi '89 Is Willful Iconoclast". Columbia College Today. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  3. ^ a b TISCHLER, LINDA. "The Gucci Killers". Fast Company. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  4. ^ "Joanne Ooi '89 Is Willful Iconoclast".
  5. ^ "Versace, Gucci ... Ooi? China Designer Makes Splash". ABC News. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  6. ^ Liu, Ling Woo (4 September 2008). "Color Lines on the Catwalk". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  7. ^ Evans, Annemarie (15 March 2010). "Hong Kong group launches air pollution campaign". BBC News. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  8. ^ "The 2011 TIME 100 Poll". Time Magazine. 4 April 2011. Archived from the original on April 7, 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  9. ^ Drell, Lauren (29 December 2011). "Jewelry Site Plukka Turns Group Buying On Its Head". Mashable. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  10. ^ Novellino, Teresa. "A Flashy Startup". Biz Journal. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  11. ^ Adams, Maia. "Plukka: pushing the boundaries of fine jewellery". Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA): Past Winners". Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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