Debra L. Lee, Founder of Leading Women Defined, Co-founder of The Monarchs Collective, and author of I AM DEBRA LEE, is one of the most influential female voices in the entertainment industry, with a trailblazing career spanning over 3 decades. For 13 years, Lee served as the Chairman & CEO of BET Networks, the leading provider of entertainment for the African-American audience and consumers of Black culture globally. 

During her tenure, Lee helmed BET’s reinvigorated approach to original authentic programming that led to hits such as The Game, The New Edition Story, Being Mary Jane, The BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors and many more.

Lee managed the launch of Centric, a 24-hour music and entertainment network. Under her guidance, Centric was rebranded as the first network designed for Black women. She also oversaw the company’s current growth initiatives, including international distribution of the brand in Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, France, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to her being named Chairman and CEO, Lee was President and COO of BET Networks for almost 10 years, during which she guided the company to consistent increases in viewership, revenue, and earnings. She first joined BET as Vice President and General Counsel in 1986 after serving more than five years as an attorney with Steptoe & Johnson, a Washington D. C. based corporate law firm. Prior to that, she served as a law clerk to the late Honorable Barrington Parker of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment and Billboard’s Power 100, Lee’s achievements in her 30+ year career in the industry have earned her numerous accolades from across the cable industry, as well as recognition as one of this country’s most respected business executives. Lee was honored with the Distinguished Leadership Vanguard Award by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and The Advertising Hall of Fame.

The GRAMMY Organization recognized Lee with the Industry Icons Award, in recognition of her major contributions to American music and culture. Lee is currently the first and only woman to receive this distinguished honor.

Lee is a committed philanthropist, a Brown University Trustee emeritus; and sits on the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute, The Paley Center for Media, and Cedars Sinai Hospital Board. 

Debra was appointed by President Obama to the White House Management Advisory Board during his tenure. Lee also currently sits on the Board of Directors for corporations including, Burberry Group, Plc, Marriott International, Procter & Gamble, and Warner Bros. Discovery.  

In March 2023, Lee published I AM DEBRA LEE: A MEMOIR, which profiled her trailblazing career and experiences as a high-powered Black female executive in the entertainment industry. I AM DEBRA LEE was lauded by Kirkus Reviews as “a provocatively frank and inspiring memoir."

Lee earned her Juris doctorate at Harvard Law School, while simultaneously earning a master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. She graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in Asian politics. Debra was awarded with a Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from her alma mater, Brown University.