SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won says diversity is key to company's future success

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks to the corporation's new board members in a business session held at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel, eastern Seoul, on Feb. 3. [SK GROUP]

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won picked diversity as the corporation's barley to raise future cash cows and get through the complex economic crisis.

"All of SK Group's new board members this year are Koreans, and only 7 percent are women," Chey said in a business session with new SK board members at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul on Feb. 3. "This gives us something to think about in terms of diversity."

Board members need to self-correct themselves to accept diversity and find new businesses by thinking outside the box, according to Chey. He urged board members to come up with creative, "young thoughts," to break through uncertainties in the business environment.

Talking to an audience of 140, the SK chairman said that board members, who represent the company, have to carry out not only the role of creating relationships, but also the role of representing the organization's diversity.

"Diverse organizations generally have 30 percent higher production efficiency."

Chey also discussed the conglomerate's response strategy for various geopolitical issues and leadership qualities of a board member with a new board member who attended as a panelist,

During SK Group's business session, understanding the current status of the business and establishing a strategy that goes along with the scenario were mentioned as key points to prepare for decoupling, or when industries that usually rise and fall together start to move in opposite directions.

BY KO SUK-HYUN [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]