American Institute in Taiwan
Therese Shaheen (夏馨), a businesswoman and entrepreneur, was Chairman and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) from 2002 to 2004. She founded in 1987 an investment and technology development company that focused on emerging economies in Asia. Over the years, her company has had offices in Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Beijing, and other Asian capitals. With the authorization of Taiwan Relations Act, in 2002, she was tapped by President George W. Bush to serve as the first woman Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan. She served during an important period in U.S.–PRC–Taiwan history, and was seen as a forceful representative of the President and the United States.