SK makes efficiency push with latest executive reshuffle

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SK makes efficiency push with latest executive reshuffle

Published: 05 Dec. 2024, 17:09

JIN EUN-SOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Son Hyun-ho

SK Group announced 75 executive promotions for the coming year on Thursday, cutting the number nearly in half compared to two years ago as part of its push to streamline operations and boost efficiency.

A total of 145 promotions were made in 2022, followed by 82 last year.

Two-thirds of the promotions this year applied to those with expertise in research and development and hands-on field experience, according to the group.

"[SK Group] focused on the fundamental competitiveness of the business by carrying out a personnel reshuffle focused on technology, field experience and global business," said SK Group in a release Thursday.

"We plan to accelerate the settlement of a corporate culture that is centered on stabilization and execution through an ad-hoc reshuffle in the middle of the year."

One new CEO was appointed in the year-end reshuffle among the group's affiliates with Son Hyun-ho, vice president of Strategy Support Team at SK Supex Council, being promoted to president and CEO of SK Discovery, an investment-focused company on green materials, pharmaceuticals and energy.

SK Group tapped Paul DeLaney as head of government relations at SK Americas, an entity newly established early this year to fortify the group's U.S. business. DeLaney served as deputy chief of staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Ahn Hyun

SK hynix added two new divisions to its business structure in an attempt to concentrate its resources on developing and mass-producing memory chips.

The newly established development division will be in charge of engineering AI chips such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and NAND. The division will be headed by Ahn Hyun.

Ahn who has been promoted to president this year has served in a number of core divisions at SK hynix such as research, business strategy and solutions development. He was appointed internal board member of the company early this year as well.

SK hynix also set up a production division that will oversee the mass production process of its silicon. The division will be in charge of coordinating different steps of the production and elevating production technology at its manufacturing facilities including the ones being built in the mega chip cluster in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

"This year, we have solidified our technology competitiveness in AI memory such as HBM and eSSD due to the exhaustive efforts of our employees, who united as one," said SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung in a release.

"We have achieved significant growth this year, but since the business environment is fast changing, [SK hynix] plans to take the lead further through the latest reshuffle, which rebalanced the existing business with future growth fundamentals."

SK Telecom said Thursday it has established an AI R&D center that will oversee the AI-related business throughout its affiliates.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]