Shay Wester is Director of Asian Economic Affairs at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) in Washington, D.C., where he researches trade policy, supply chains, and economic competition across Asia. His work focuses in particular on Southeast Asia’s evolving ties with China and the United States. He also leads ASPI’s engagement with U.S. and Asian policy communities, convening dialogues and producing analysis on regional economic integration, supply chain resilience, and the digital economy.
Prior to joining ASPI, Wester spent nine years in Singapore with the US-ASEAN Business Council, where he led policy strategy and programming across industry sectors and worked closely with U.S. and Southeast Asian governments to address trade, investment, and regulatory issues.
Earlier in his career, Wester served as a legislative assistant to Senator John Cornyn and held positions at the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Defense.
He holds an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Southern Methodist University.