Building bridges

"Some feel that New York is the same as Idaho," she says. "It's not. It's impossible to learn all the nuances between Asia's countries. What's not impossible is an attitude of respect－not to fear what you don't know but to take an interest in it.

"The biggest deficit that we face is a lack of understanding. You can't force understanding. It has to come from the fabric of relationships. After more than 50 years, our network is very important. We do our work with a respect for cultures and the power of culture to build understanding."

Art is another unifying part of her work. During an exhibition of modern Iranian art held in the New York City headquarters, which concluded in January, many visitors were extremely moved by what they saw. "It helped people understand the depth of Iranian culture and Persian art," Sheeran explains.

After more than half a year as CEO, Sheeran believes that the biggest challenge she faces is meeting the demand for what the Asia Society can offer.

"We launched a dialogue between Myanmar, China and the United States, with (former US secretary of state) Madeleine Albright to co-chair policy. There have been requests for 15 more of these. We have been asked to conduct one between Japan, Korea and China. We need people committed to work through these dialogues."

Despite her relentless travel schedule on behalf of the Asia Society, Sheeran loves exploring new cultures in her spare time.

"My father had a great love for China. It's in my family's DNA to discover new villages. When we were in Myanmar, we visited traditional weaving villages by motorcycle."