By Oh Young-jin
School ties are a key networking tool. Alumni are often taught the same global views and visions, and share with each other their early memories.
Last week, three noted businessmen tied by their alma mater not just talked about business but also shared memories about their school days.
The three were BMW Korea CEO Kim Hyojoon, Home plus Executive Vice President Seol Do-won and Intel Korea CEO Lee Hee-sung, all of whom attended Yonsei University School of Business.
Although they didn’t go to the school at the same time, they shared one memory with each other about their school days.
Oddly enough, they didn’t call each other by their first names as alumni attending the same high school, but it was hard not to notice the affinity felt between them and the pride they took in their school.
“You remember that corner mom-and-pop store, don’t you?” Kim said. Seol replied, “I also had snacks on my way to class because I didn’t have time for dinner.”
Both Kim and Seol had to attend the school after work but they skipped more than full-hearted dinners. They spent weekends catching up with what they were behind in, and weeknights when they didn’t have class preparing for coming lessons.
“Only my boss at that time knew that I was attending the business school,” Kim said.
Seol knew of the mom-and-pop store because he had snacks there, too.
“It was a tough time but not unbearable,”
the Home plus executive said.
Lee of Intel Korea took a course that was given on weekends.
“By the time I went to the school, the store was modernized,” Lee said.
The Intel Korea chief said that he took on the role of disciplining monitor.
“I told the class that it’s their decision to go on or leave,” he pointed out. “The consensus at that time was that the priority was to study.” Lee said that there was no rebellion among his classmates.
The Intel chief said that his primary interest lay in human resources (HR) “Is a generous boss good or is a smartass subordinate beneficial?” he asked himself.
Once the rebellious subordinate was out, the boss performed better, he said, adding that sociology seeks not a definite answer but the best possible explanation under given circumstances.
Seol turned out to be a late bloomer during the one-hour-plus breakfast meeting when he started to talk about why Carrefour or Walmart failed in Korea.
“It comes down to Korean customer’s choosiness,” he said.
For instance, the Tesco-invested firm executive said Korean customers don’t shop in a deserted store. “They want to be assured that they are among the crowd,” he said.
Seol wanted to have Korean unique business environment published as global business schools’ case studies.
“It is all about sharing experience,” he said. “Our case studies have their own merit.” Seol’s pride in being a Yonsei business school graduate was obvious.
“It channeled my passions,” he pointed out. Seol just came back from a trip to London for a promotion during the Olympics there.
Kim, Seol and Lee expressed their gratitude for having a “second school life” at Yonsei.
The three said that they all shared an affinity for having studied in the same school and their time there honed their business skills.
“Given the chance, I would never hesitate to choose Yonsei again,” said Seol. The other two agreed.
By the way, Lee said that his HR study, initiated in Yonsei, was still underway.
“It’s all about human relations to determine whether a business is successful or not just like a marriage,” Lee said. “The jury is still out about my conclusion that getting rid of a noisy subordinate