Samsung Electronics has announced changes to its leadership structure and shuffled several top executives including President Kinam Kim heading its semiconductors business unit, who will assume the role of vice chairman from Oh-Hyun Kwon. Kim, a fellow at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, started working for Samsung in 1981 and has vast experience in the semiconductors segment. He previously held various roles at the chaebol like being the head of the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, chief executive officer of Samsung’s display division, and chief of the memory unit of the system LSI businesses. With his new role, Kinam Kim will also oversee the Device Solutions business of Samsung.
Meanwhile, Hyunsuk (HS) Kim will succeed President Boo-Keun Yoon as head of the company’s Consumer Electronics department. HS Kim was responsible for the company’s global TV business and contributed to the success of the division for more than a decade, with the company’s global TV sales having topped performance charts all over the world. Dongjin (DJ) Koh has also been appointed to replace President Jong-Kyun Shin as head of the Information Technology and Mobile Communications division of the Korean original equipment manufacturer. Kwon, who also served as CEO of Samsung, announced his resignation earlier this month due to what he described as an “unprecedented crisis.” Commenting on the new leadership of the tech giant, Kwon said the promoted executives at Samsung bring vast experiences in their respective fields, making them the ideal candidates to help the company advance its innovation efforts and meet customer demands.
Additionally, President Sang-Hoon (SH) Lee will take over the role of chairman of the board from Kwon in March and leave his current position as the chief financial officer at Samsung. The leadership crisis at the company began in February after its Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong (Jay Y. Lee) was incarcerated and later sentenced to five years in prison on bribery and other charges. Kim was previously rumored as being one of the top candidates to replace Kwon, and his recent appointment as vice chairman suggests Samsung’s shift to a more democratic style of leadership is now underway.