Latest news with #LeeJae-yong
Korea Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Samsung boosts leadership with global hires
Samsung Electronics has strengthened its leadership team by bringing in professionals from leading global companies, including Apple, Siemens, Qualcomm and General Motors, the company revealed in its first-quarter earnings report on Monday. The move reflects a broader push by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who has emphasized the need to secure world-class talent across key business divisions. Among the high-profile appointments is Vice President Choi Jae-in, a former director at Apple who holds a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Choi joined Samsung's Mobile eXperience division, which oversees smartphones and mobile devices, earlier this year to lead development efforts. In the corporate planning division, Executive Director Moon Sung-man has been brought on board for his expertise in health care technology, having previously worked at Siemens Healthineers. Moon earned his Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Kim Jin-mook, an expert in strategic and financial consulting with prior experience at Boston Consulting Group and Goldman Sachs, has been appointed managing director to lead the Samsung Care+ team. Kim previously served as CEO of Bolttech Korea. Executive Director Yoon Seung-guk, who holds a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now heads the Samsung Research Robot Center. Yoon formerly worked as a staff software engineer at Cruise, General Motors' autonomous vehicle subsidiary. Samsung has also named Mauro Porcini its first-ever president and chief design officer. A globally recognized industrial designer, Porcini previously served as Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo and 3M. In retail, former Tommy Hilfiger North America President Sophia Hwang-Judiesch has joined Samsung as Executive Vice President to lead the company's global retail strategy. In the TV business, Managing Director Kim Joo-young — who led the development of Horizon OS at Meta's Reality Labs — has been hired to enhance Samsung's service business. These appointments align with Chairman Lee Jae-yong's directive to attract top-tier professionals as Samsung navigates an increasingly competitive global technology landscape. 'First is technology, second is technology and third is also technology. We must recruit and foster top-tier talent who may even surpass current leadership, regardless of nationality or gender,' Lee said at a recent executive seminar.
Korea Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Samsung to pay language test fees for workers in talent push
Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong has introduced a new initiative to support employees taking conversation tests in seven foreign languages, reflecting his ongoing commitment to cultivating global talent. According to industry sources on Thursday, Samsung Electronics informed all employees in its Device Experience division on Monday that it will fully reimburse the cost of conversation test fees — up to twice a year — for seven languages: Korean, English, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Samsung has already been administering widely recognized language tests — the OPIc (English, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish), TSC (Chinese) and SJPT (Japanese) — internally. These in-house exams are known to offer the advantages of lower fees and faster results compared to external testing centers. Although the internal scores are not valid for external certification, they are automatically recorded as part of the company's internal language qualifications system, which can be considered in evaluations for promotions, performance reviews and overseas business assignments. The policy aligns with Lee's broader vision to enhance the global capabilities of Samsung's workforce— an emphasis he has consistently made. In February 2023, while speaking with new recruits in the Visual Display division at Samsung Digital City in Suwon, Lee shared, 'I regret not studying foreign languages more. I speak English and Japanese, and I try hard not to forget them. But I also wish I had studied Chinese and French.' He went on to emphasize that learning a foreign language is also about understanding a country's way of thinking, values and history, encouraging employees to seize the opportunity to broaden their linguistic skills. Samsung has been actively expanding its global talent strategy. In August 2023, it launched its first hiring program for experienced foreign professionals seeking to work in Korea, followed by additional recruitment in R&D this past February. Most recently, the company appointed world-renowned industrial designer Mauro Porcini as its first foreign design chief.
Korea Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Samsung to support foreign language speaking test fees for DX division employees
Samsung Electronics Co. will support the cost of foreign language speaking proficiency exams for employees in its Device Experience division, a move aimed at strengthening the company's global competencies, industry sources said Thursday. According to the sources, the company announced this week that it will reimburse test fees for up to two language exams per year for all employees in the division, covering tests for foreign languages, including English, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, as well as Korean. The program will begin in June, with employees able to apply through the company's internal language testing platform. The move is seen as part of Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong's emphasis on global competency for company employees. In a meeting with newly hired employees in February 2023, Lee said he regretted not studying foreign languages more, noting that he makes an effort to retain his English and Japanese proficiency. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Samsung Electro-Mechanics clinches MLCC supply deal with China's BYD
Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the electronic components arm of Samsung Electronics, has secured a major supply deal with Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, industry sources said Wednesday. The South Korean firm has already begun shipments of MLCCs, worth hundreds of billions of won, to several Chinese firms, including the world's largest EV maker, BYD. MLCCs are essential components in electric devices, which store and manage the electricity, ensuring semiconductors operate smoothly. These tiny yet powerful parts are used across a wide range of devices, from smartphones and PCs to vehicles. MLCCs remain a key revenue driver for Samsung Electro-Mechanics, accounting for nearly half of the company's sales. Automotive MLCCs are especially profitable due to their technological complexities and the massive volume required for each vehicle. Around 3,000 to 4,000 MLCCs are needed for a conventional vehicle, while an electric vehicle carries around 18,000 pieces. The company has ramped up efforts in the automotive sector to diversify and strengthen its business portfolio. At this year's shareholders' meeting, CEO Chang Duk-hyun pledged to reach 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in combined sales from its automotive and AI server components in 2025. The MLCC supply deal comes on the heels of a high-profile visit to China by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong last month. According to sources, Lee made a stop at BYD's headquarters in Shenzen, where he met with Chairman Wang Chuanfu. He also toured Xiaomi's electric vehicle plant in Beijing and met with Chairman Lei Jun. The meetings signal Samsung's growing ambition to expand its business in the lucrative vehicle components sector, with China's EV giants emerging as key partners in that push.
South China Morning Post
09-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chip war: Samsung denies halting foundry services for Chinese clients amid US pressure
Samsung Semiconductor's China unit issued a rare statement on Wednesday rejecting recent reports that its chip foundry had suspended partnerships with Chinese clients, signalling the South Korean company's commitment to maintaining business in the world's second-largest economy amid an upheaval in the global chip supply chain triggered by the US. Advertisement In a Chinese statement released by Samsung Semiconductor on its WeChat account, the company said its foundry business, which produces chips for external customers, was working with Chinese clients 'as normal', countering claims that it had halted cooperation with chip developers in the country. Samsung operates one of the few foundries capable of rivalling industry-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in producing advanced chips at 7-nanometre or above. The statement did not name any clients nor provide details about their partnerships. But it comes amid increasing scrutiny from analysts and investors regarding whether Samsung would comply with US requests to tighten chip technology curbs against China. Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong attends a meeting with global business leaders hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE TSMC reportedly suspended services to restricted Chinese clients late last year, raising speculation about whether Samsung would follow suit. Samsung previously did not comment on the issue. Advertisement
