Meet Ms. Liran Han, the 2026 recipient of the Mark S. Wrighton Award for McDonnell Academy Alumni—an honor that recognizes alumni who exemplify global leadership, academic excellence, and a sustained commitment to the mission of the Academy.
Ms. Liran Han, a member of the McDonnell Academy’s 2009 Cohort, earned her LLM from WashU Law in 2010. She currently serves as Head of Legal, Asia Pacific for Copeland, a Blackstone portfolio company headquartered in St. Louis. A trusted business partner and strategic advisor, she is widely respected for helping drive business outcomes not only across the Asia Pacific region but also globally through her close partnership with business leaders and cross-functional colleagues around the world.
Beyond her professional achievements, Liran is deeply committed to community engagement and creating opportunities for others. After returning to Hong Kong, the city where she was first introduced to the McDonnell Academy, she served as Chapter Leader of Emerson’s Women in STEM employee resource group, helping empower women and students in both the industry and the broader community.
Today, she serves as APAC Chairperson of Copeland’s Inspiring Horizons program, leading initiatives that support underprivileged children and youth by broadening their horizons, fostering personal development, and opening doors to new possibilities and aspirations.
The Academy represents one of the true golden chapters of my life. It turned distant dreams into tangible experiences, from visiting the United Nations and meeting the Secretary-General to discovering what it means to think and act as a global citizen. What also stayed with me are moments like those holiday gatherings on winter evenings in St. Louis, when scholars and our academy parents gathered to talk about history, ideas, and the world beyond ourselves. Those conversations shaped how I see the world and nurtured a global perspective that continues to guide me today in my professional and personal life. Above all, it gave me lifelong friends and a shared commitment to give back to our communities, carrying forward the support and generosity we once received as scholars that changed our own lives.
Ms. Liran Han