Joanne Ooi

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

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

Early life and education

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

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

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

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

Awards
  • 2011: Nominated for Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list
  • 2013: Most Promising Entrepreneur, Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards[12]
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References
  1. Jana, Reena. "China Goes Luxury". Business Week. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  2. Iorio, Karen (Winter 2012–13). "Joanne Ooi '89 Is Willful Iconoclast". Columbia College Today. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  3. 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. 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. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  9. Drell, Lauren. "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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