Eugene Lee

Eugene Lee is currently the Senior Vice President of Operations and General Manager at Synonym, a company focused on building a financing and implementation platform to support biomanufacturing facilities for innovative animal proteins and materials. He has been with Synonym since July 2022.1

Professional Background

• Butler Hospitality: Served as Chief Operating Officer in 2022, overseeing operations for a multi-unit hospitality startup with 850 employees across 11 cities. He successfully revamped the go-to-market strategy, doubling revenue while improving profit margins.1
• Knotel: From 2016 to 2021, he was a founding executive team member, helping to grow the flexible workspace startup from its inception to a unicorn status, managing global operations and a corporate P&L of $350 million.1
• Knewton: Led business development efforts from 2014 to 2016, expanding into new verticals and securing partnerships with corporate and government entities.1
• New York City Mayor's Office: As a Senior Policy Advisor from 2010 to 2014, he was instrumental in establishing NYC as a global tech hub and expanding computer science education in public schools.1

Education

Eugene Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Government from Cornell University (1994-1998) and an MBA from NYU Stern, where he focused on entrepreneurship, strategy, and finance (2004-2006).1

Skills and Recognition

He is recognized for his leadership in high-growth startups and his expertise in operations, strategic partnerships, and economic development policy. His contributions have significantly impacted the organizations he has worked with, particularly in scaling operations and driving revenue growth.