Romi Haan
South Korea
President and CEO, HAAN Corporation

Breakout Session: Navigating the Perfect Storm

Innovative. Driven. Entrepreneurial. Relentless. Creative. Courageous. Forward-thinking. These are just some of Romi Haan’s attributes as the founder of a multi-national company that produces a wide array of household and beauty products. From a young Korean housewife and mother to being named one of The Wall Street Journal’s “Top 50 Women to Watch” after just one year in the U.S., this successful businesswoman continues to garner attention around the world. Her cutting-edge products have been featured on The Today Show and other national outlets, while Romi is frequently asked to appear on influential panels such as the APEC Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit moderated by Tina Brown and Forbes Asia’s Power Business Women Forum in Singapore. In 2012, Romi was named one of “150 Fearless Women” by The Daily Beast-Newsweek, and one of “Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen” by Forbes.

In a culture where for generations before her, women did not launch businesses on their own, Romi started the HAAN Corporation in Seoul, Korea, with the mission to free homemakers from the laborious chore of floor cleaning. Since creating the company’s first effective and easy-to-use steam cleaning products, she has grown HAAN Corporation to 300 employees and added new lines that include garment and travel steamers, home appliances, cookware, beauty and cosmetic products.

With offices in Korea, China, the United States, and distribution of its products to more than 10 countries worldwide, HAAN Corporation continues to look for new ways to make consumers lives easier, healthier and more sustainable while remaining synonymous with innovation.