Yonsei University boasts top MBA alumni
Kim Hyo-joon
Birth: February 1957
Current post: BMW Korea CEO
Yonsei MBA: 1997~1999
Career
Kim is one of the leading chief executive officers at a Korean subsidiary of a global automaker.
After working for a non-life insurance company and a pharmaceutical firm here, Kim got aboard BMW Korea in 1995 as a chief financial officer when the foreign automotive brand struggled to make its presence felt.
Kim took charge of BMW Korea in 2000 and thereafter he made a history by catapulting the company to become a contender in the domestic market, which had been dominated by local duo Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.
BMW Korea CEO Kim Hyo-joon, right, poses next to a new vehicle in an unveiling ceremony in Seoul, last year.
Courtesy of BMW Korea
In 1999, BMW Korea sold merely 833 vehicles here but under the helm of Kim, the figure rocketed to 23,293 last year.
By now, BMW is the strongest foreign automotive brand in Asia’s fourth largest economy and its success story is regarded as a benchmark case for other units across the world.
He set the model not only in sales but also in other segments such as corporate social responsibility (CSR).
BMW Korea set up the BMW Korea Future Foundation into which the company funneled 3 billion won last year and has a plan to further increase funding down the road.
In addition, Kim plans to build a large-sized test-driving track near Seoul, which would be a great milestone because BMW has just one driving center outside of Germany _ in the United States.
He is also looking to create an automotive museum here where visitors can see the history and future of the domestic industry at a glance.
His words on MBA life
``The company can hardly consider your difficulties when you study and I also did not let any of my colleagues know about my studying with the sole exception of my German boss. Hence, when I told them that I would graduate the next day, all of them were surprised.’’
``Yet, I was very happy with my life in the business school and I always sat on the front row. In addition, my class was full of the best people in their specific sector filled with passion and insight.’’
Seol Do-won
Birth: October 1956
Current post: Home plus executive vice president
Yonsei MBA: 1998~2000
Seol started his professional career at Samsung Construction and Trade (C&T) in 1987 and worked for the Samsung Group for several years in the 1990s before returning to Samsung C&T in 1998.
He joined as a founding member of Home plus in 1999, which was established under a business alliance between U.K.-based global retail giant Tesco and Samsung C&T.
Thereafter, Seol took charge of public relations and marketing at Home plus, which has quickly grown to become one of the leading discount chains in Korea.
Home plus Executive Vice President Seol Do-won, second from left, smiles at a bazaar hosted by Home plus in Seoul in May. Courtesy of Home plus
Currently, Home plus has more than 100 stores across the country to compete with local juggernaut E-mart.
In particular, he has played a leading role in Home plus’s seamless efforts in operating brisk corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, which even its competitors have benchmarked.
Home plus has gained the spotlight for its various CSR projects like opening many culture programs for residents at the first floor of stores, the places that racked up the best sales figures.
Early this year, the outfit announced plans to set up a 3 billion won fund along with its suppliers to help children who suffer from leukemia, an unprecedented move.
Currently, he leads the corporate and legal affairs group of the Seoul-based corporation.
``To meet the class hour of 7 p.m., I left my office at 6 p.m. and drove my car just like a racing driver. Of course, I could not find any time for legitimate dinner and a ready-made sandwich and a pack of milk was my supper for two years.’’
``Even after I finished the MBA, professors kept contacting me to encourage more study. Hence, I remained involved in various business studies and eventually went through the Ph.D. course.’’
Lee Hee-sung
Birth: June 1962
Current post: CEO of Intel Korea
Yonsei MBA: 2008~2010
After studying engineering at Sogang University, Lee worked for a domestic electronics company as a researcher in the late 1980s before moving to Intel Korea in 1991 as an IT manager.
It took less than decade before he got an executive position in 1999 and after assuming various core positions in the firm, he took its reins back in 2005.
Rather than sticking to his college major of engineering, he stood out in selling products at Intel where he worked primarily as salesman during the past two decades.
Intel Korea President Lee Hee-sung talks about a new product released by his company at a June press conference in Seoul.
/ Courtesy of Intel Korea
In tandem with the fast rise of Korean electronics powerhouses Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, Intel Korea has also chalked up fast growth under the stewardship of Lee.
Currently, it is believed that Samsung uses Intel central processing units for more than 95 percent of its computers while the proportion is 100 percent at LG, an unrivaled feat for Intel’s operation globally.
In addition, Intel Korea supplies products for mobile gadgets to Samsung, the world’s leading mobile phone producer, and its cross-city rival LG.
If the current exponential growth pace of Intel Korea continues, it is expected to catch up with Intel Japan in terms of sales in a few years.
Based on the strong performance, some media outlets reported early this year that Lee is touted as a candidate to take charge of Intel’s overall Asia-Pacific operation.
``On the first day of the course, I told my class that I am here to study rather than to set up a network. So I recommend those who don’t want to study hard to drop out. Fortunately, most of my class agreed with me and we studied really hard for two years.’’