“When I first started Constellation, I didn't have a full roadmap of exactly what I wanted the company to become, I just had an idea and a great business partner,” says Lee. In the past five years, Constellation has been flexible and adapted to fit the needs of clients and the advertising and marketing industry.
“In 2019, men held over 75% of the jobs in the automotive industry. Of the 23.6% of women in the industry, only 1.8% were Asian women,” Lee says. In 1989, when she first entered the industry as a 19-year-old Asian college student, the gender breakdown was not even that generous. “In such an environment I was at a disadvantage, not being treated with the same respect as my male counterparts. My success had to be entirely merit-based.
These days, Lee is committed to building and fostering an inclusive and diverse team to help pave the way for other women and minorities in the automotive industry. At Constellation, a dedicated lawyer helps international employees get their H1B visas to work at the company. 49% of Constellation Agency’s employees are women, 50% of the executive leaders are women, and 25% of the executives are women of color.