Karyn Tai

Karyn Tai is Assistant Director at the SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE), where she leads the Institute’s Operations function. Her portfolio covers human resources, finance, governance, compliance and administrative operations, supporting IIE’s leadership and teams in building effective, sustainable and well-governed organisational practices.

With more than a decade of experience at SMU, Karyn has supported a range of university initiatives, including the BNP Paribas Hedge Fund Centre and the Asia Private Equity Institute. Her experience spans organisational operations, workforce planning, policy and process implementation, financial and administrative governance, and cross-functional coordination.

She has a strong interest in organisational and process improvement, with a focus on simplifying processes, improving workflows and supporting the appropriate use of technology.

Prior to joining SMU, Karyn worked in the service industry as a flight attendant with two major Asian airlines, an experience that continues to shape her people-centred and service-oriented approach to work.