CJ names new CEOs, many of them younger

Newly appointed CJ CheilJedang CEO Choi Eun-seok. [CJ CORPORATION]

CJ Group named new CEOs at key companies, including CJ CheilJedang, as part of its annual personnel reshuffle.

In the appointments announced Thursday, some CEOs switched positions, and younger people born in the 1980s were promoted.

New CEOs at key CJ companies, including CJ CheilJedang, CJ Logistics and CJ ENM, were announced.

Choi Eun-seok, chief operating officer of CJ Corporation, was named CEO of CJ CheilJedang, which is known for the Bibigo brand.

Newly appointed CJ Logistics CEO Kang Sin-ho. [CJ CORPORATION]

Kang Sin-ho, who was CEO of CJ CheilJedang, was named CEO of CJ Logistics, which is the biggest logistics company in Korea and has an almost 50 percent market share.

Kang Ho-sung, chief general officer of CJ Corporation, was named CEO of CJ ENM, operator of entertainment and home shopping businesses.

Heo Min-heoi, a former CJ ENM CEO, was appointed CEO of struggling movie theater chain CJ CGV.

Jeong Seong-pil, CEO of CJ Foodville, will assume the same role at CJ Freshway, a food materials distributor. Kim Chan-ho, CJ Foodville bakery business executive, was named CEO of CJ Foodville.

CJ said that eight of the 38 new executives were women and five are young talents born in the 1980s. It said the average age of the promoted executives was 45 compared to 47 in 2018.

CJ “appointed CEOs that could prepare for the future and respond to internal and external management crises, including a rapidly changing business environment from Covid-19,” it said in a statement.

“Amid an uncertain business environment, 2020 has been a year in which the focus was on quality growth and preparation for the future through innovative growth.” The company added that it “plans to focus on global survival by actively preparing for the 'new normal' in the post-coronavirus era.”

The newly appointed executives will start their new roles on Dec. 14.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]