In December 2018, Jean Lee Batrus became the first Executive Director of the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF), leading one of the most unique initiatives in the sports industry. YDF is a co-operated initiative of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), headquartered in New York City at the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. A second-generation Chinese American and Canadian raised and educated in both countries, she has spent her career dedicated to advancing equal opportunities for minorities, women, youth and underserved communities both domestically and internationally.

With extensive experience as a leader, manager and advocate, Jean is working to level the playing field and increase access to sport for underserved communities, female athletes and diverse youth. In 2021, she advocated for MLB and MLBPA to endorse the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports as one of the founding supporters.

 As a representative of both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, Jean oversees building consensus and collaboration between both parties on strategic investments and partnerships to advance the game of baseball and softball. Her stewardship of significant investments has led to increasing affordable and accessible local play for underserved youth and strengthening their communities. Under her leadership and co-operated by MLB and MLBPA, YDF powers the nation’s premier diversity-focused baseball development experiences for high school age baseball players at the Hank Aaron Invitational. Today, more than 200 alumni are currently playing professionally or on the collegiate level and over 40 alumni have been selected in the last four MLB drafts. During 2023 All-Star Week, YDF and Ken Griffey, Jr. will be hosting the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic game to highlight the history of HBCU baseball and provide HBCU Division I studentathletes a national stage to showcase their talent.

 Jean earned a master’s degree from Columbia University School of International Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Prior to graduating from Cornell, she took a leave of absence to work for the first and oldest specialized agency of the United Nations, the International Labour Organization (ILO). Based in Geneva, Switzerland and Delhi and Bangalore, India, she worked on advancing workplace conditions for women from international maternity rights, health micro-finance investments and health and safety policies. During her time with the ILO, she was the youngest hired employee in the organization’s history. In 2004, she contributed to the drafting of Thailand’s first National Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in the Workplace, which was approved and implemented the following year by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Public Health. Throughout her career, she has held senior leadership roles and board positions at nonprofit organizations in sports, performing arts, education, health and on Wall Street and private equity.

She serves on the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Community Giving Council and the Aspen Institute Project Play National Committee. Jean is a philanthropist supporting theater, dance, public gardens, women’s and children’s health and veteran organizations in New York and Florida where she lives. Jean leads an active lifestyle and loves pilates, golf, tennis and skiing.