Lee Jaehyun's Brilliant Move 'Replacing Heads of Major Affiliates'... Accelerating Generational Change with Young Talent (Comprehensive)

2021 Regular Executive Appointments, New CEO Appointments at Major Affiliates Including ENM's Kang Hoseong
38 New Executives Including 1 Executive Vice President and 13 Vice Presidents, Total 78 Promotions
21% (8) of 38 New Executives Are Women, Including 5 Millennial Generation Women

Eunseok Choi, CEO of CJ CheilJedang.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Lee Jae-hyun, Chairman of CJ Group, has replaced the heads of major affiliates. The background of the replacement is to respond to internal and external crisis situations such as the rapid changes in the business environment caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and to prepare for the future. With the promotion of capable young talents to executive positions, it also signals an acceleration of generational change throughout the group. Additionally, by promoting Lee Kyung-hoo, the chairman’s eldest daughter and Executive Director of CJ ENM, to the rank of Vice President, the group appears to be accelerating third-generation management.

On the 10th, CJ Group announced its 2021 regular executive appointments, which include replacing CEOs of major affiliates and promoting a total of 78 executives. The effective date of the appointments is the 14th. First, Choi Eun-seok, Chief Strategy Officer of CJ Corporation, was appointed as the new CEO of CJ CheilJedang; Kang Shin-ho, CEO of CJ CheilJedang, was appointed as the new CEO of CJ Logistics; and Kang Ho-sung, Chief Support Officer of CJ Corporation, was appointed as the new CEO of CJ ENM.

Choi Eun-seok, the new CEO of CJ CheilJedang, was born in 1967 and is a representative member of the group’s 50s generation. He is known within the group as a ‘strategist’ and was the key figure behind the large-scale business partnership with Naver. CEO Choi is expected to improve the company’s structure by securing financial soundness while also exploring new growth engines.

Kang Shin-ho, CEO of CJ Logistics.

Kang Shin-ho, CEO of CJ Logistics, achieved the highest-ever performance for CJ CheilJedang during the past year after taking office as CEO of CJ CheilJedang at the end of last year. Kang will now move to CJ Logistics, a subsidiary of CJ CheilJedang, where he plans to focus on resolving conflicts with the parcel delivery union and strengthening profitability.

Kang Hoseong, CEO of CJ ENM.

Kang Ho-sung, Chief Support Officer of CJ, has been appointed as the new CEO of CJ ENM. Kang, who previously worked as a prosecutor and lawyer, joined CJ Group in 2013 as head of the legal office. Since July, Kang has concurrently served as Chief Support Officer of both CJ Corporation and CJ ENM, effectively preparing for the CEO succession. He plans to revitalize the company’s image, which was damaged by the ‘Produce’ series vote-rigging scandal.

Additionally, the following executives were appointed: Heo Min-hoe at CJ CGV, Yoon Do-seon at the China headquarters, Jung Sung-pil at CJ Freshway, Kim Chan-ho at CJ Foodville, Shin Hyung-kwan at CJ LiveCity, and Kim Sun-gang at CJ Feed&Care. Im Kyung-mook, head of the strategic planning team, was appointed as Chief Strategy Officer of CJ Corporation.

Promotions focused on capable young talents were also carried out. Heo Min-hoe, CEO of CJ ENM O Shopping Division, was promoted to Chief Officer, and Kim Chan-ho, CEO of CJ Foodville, was promoted to Vice President rank, among others. In total, one Chief Officer, thirteen Vice Presidents, and twenty-six Executive Directors were promoted. The number of newly appointed executives (Executive Directors) doubled from last year to 38. Among them, eight female executives (21%), including five millennial women born in the 1980s, were appointed, marking the largest number ever.

The average age of the 38 new executives is 45, two years younger than in the past two years. This bold selection of young talents through merit-based competition rather than seniority signals an acceleration of generational change throughout the group. CJ Group currently ranks 13th in the business world.

A CJ Group official said, “2020 was a year focused on qualitative growth and future preparation through innovative growth and securing a super-gap capability amid an uncertain external business environment.” He added, “In 2021, we will actively prepare for the post-COVID and new normal era centered on the new management team and focus on global survival.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, Lee Kyung-hoo, Executive Director of CJ ENM, was promoted to Vice President rank. She graduated from Columbia University in the United States with a degree in French literature and earned a master’s degree in culinary psychology from the same university. She joined CJ Group in 2011 as an assistant manager in the business team. Afterward, she worked in product planning at CJ O Shopping and as head of integrated marketing at the U.S. regional headquarters, and was promoted to Executive Director in 2017. In July 2018, she was appointed head of the brand division of the newly established CJ ENM, formed by the merger of CJ O Shopping and CJ E&M, and moved to the U.S. regional headquarters, where she directly participated in establishing marketing strategies for the group’s North American business, leading the smooth landing of brands such as KCON and Bibigo in the U.S. Internally, it is expected that the new Vice President will continue to lead the group’s media business, similar to her aunt, Vice Chairman Lee Mi-kyung.

On the other hand, Lee’s eldest son, Lee Seon-ho, Deputy General Manager of CJ CheilJedang, was not included in the executive list in this personnel reshuffle. Earlier, Lee was arrested and indicted last year on charges of marijuana smuggling and was sentenced to three years in prison with a four-year probation in the appeal trial in February this year. He is currently keeping a low profile but is expected to return to work soon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.