To mark International Women’s Day (March 8), we spotlight four women leaders at Yanolja who are shaping the global travel tech industry.

As product builders, team leaders, and pioneers of new markets, they are driving change from their respective roles.
Through this series, we share their honest stories—from the beginnings of their careers to their journeys as women leaders, and the messages they hope to pass on to the next generation.

Meet the leaders who are forging their own paths at Yanolja, where innovative AI technology meets travel.

Meet the Leaders | Yanolja’s Women in Tech

― Haley Kim, Yanolja CBO

Where My Journey Began

Where did your career journey begin?

I began my career at McKinsey after completing my MBA, where I built a strong foundation for navigating ambiguity and solving complex problems. Consulting taught me how to start with uncertainty, break down problems into structured components, and move step by step toward clear solutions. That mindset became a consistent thread throughout my career.

It naturally led me into innovation roles across industries—from financial services at Wells Fargo to technology companies like Samsung and Google, where I worked on launching and scaling new products such as Samsung Pay and Google Pay 3.0.

What were some of the challenges you faced as a female leader in tech, and what unique strengths did you discover within yourself along the way?

As a female leader in tech, one of the challenges was often being in environments where there were few role models who looked like me. There were moments when I had to find my own voice and define my own leadership style rather than following a predefined path.

Over time, I discovered a few core strengths. First, I am not afraid to challenge the status quo and build new ways of doing things. Many of the roles I took on involved creating something from zero to one—whether it was launching new products or building new growth strategies.

Second, I am comfortable with ambiguity, but I pair that with structured thinking. I believe that even the most complex problems can be organized and tackled systematically.

Finally, I see myself as a “cheerleader” leader. I thrive in cross-functional environments, bringing teams together around a shared mission and helping them deliver on ambitious goals. Some of the most meaningful achievements in my career—like scaling products to millions of users in a short period of time—were only possible through strong collaboration.

Why Travel Tech — Why Yanolja

What inspired you to join Yanolja—the intersection of Tech and Travel?

Yanolja stood out to me as a rare company that has continuously reinvented itself over the past 20 years—from the early internet era to mobile, and now into AI. That kind of transformation is not easy, and it reflects both resilience and ambition.

What inspired me most was the founder’s vision to build Yanolja into a leading global travel technology company. I wanted to be part of that journey—to help scale a Korean-born company into a truly global tech leader.

What changes or possibilities excite you most about working at Yanolja?

At Yanolja, I’ve been focused on building the global sales and marketing foundation, redefining our brand identity, and driving go-to-market strategies across key markets. But what excites me most is what lies ahead.

As we enter the AI era, Yanolja is uniquely positioned.We connect and leverage a vast amount of travel and hospitality data, which can become a powerful foundation for building AI-driven solutions. I see a tremendous opportunity for Yanolja to evolve into a global “AI for travel” platform—transforming how travel businesses operate and how consumers experience travel.

The idea of driving that kind of exponential, global impact is what energizes me every day.

To the Women Who Lead Next

What is one piece of advice you’d give to future female leaders? You can think of it as something you would say to your younger self.

Lean in—and keep going.

Your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Sometimes you will move fast; other times you may need to slow down. There will be phases in life where you are balancing multiple roles—professional, parent, partner, daughter—and that’s okay. What matters is that you continue moving forward in a way that works for you.

Don’t compare yourself to others, and don’t feel pressured to follow a single definition of success. Instead, focus on building your own brand—be someone people can trust, someone who delivers, and someone who others want to work with. Consistency and credibility compound over time.

Also, learn to embrace challenges rather than avoid them. The most difficult moments are often the ones that shape your growth the most.

And finally, invest in self-awareness. Take the time to understand who you are—your strengths, your values, and what truly motivates you. That clarity will help you make better decisions and build a career that is both successful and meaningful. One day, you’ll look back and realize you’ve arrived exactly where you wanted to be.

One Word That Defines Me

If you had to define yourself in ‘one word’, what would it be?

“I’m a Cheerleader Haley Kim, who brings teams together to achieve ambitious goals.”

👀 LinkedIn Profile | Haley Kim, Yanolja CBO