Lanses Korea Appoints Jo Seung-young as New CEO

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoonju Hwang] Global specialty chemicals company LANXESS has appointed Seungyoung Cho, Executive Director overseeing the Europe and North America regions in the Disinfectants division of the Functional Protection Products business unit, as its new CEO. Cho will assume the position on July 1 and will concurrently oversee the Polymer Additives business unit in Korea.

Cho graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Korea University and earned an MBA from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. He began his career in 1998 as a researcher at LG Electronics and held various positions at LG Corporation, DuPont, and Chemours (spun off from DuPont), building expertise in the chemical industry. He joined LANXESS in 2016 when the company acquired Chemours’ disinfectants division, leading the Korean Functional Protection Products business unit and the Asia-Pacific disinfectants division.

In 2017, he relocated to LANXESS’ headquarters in Bonn, Germany, serving as the global head of the Functional Protection Products business unit’s disinfectants division. Since 2019, he has been responsible for the disinfectants business division in Europe and North America as well as strategic operations for the Functional Protection Products business unit.

Ming Cheng Chien, President of LANXESS Asia-Pacific, said, "Seungyoung Cho’s global business management capabilities and his experience across diverse industries such as chemicals, electrical and electronics, automotive, and healthcare will greatly contribute to the growth of LANXESS’ Korean business, focusing on consumer protection and new mobility. Additionally, by leading the Polymer Additives business unit, he is expected to further strengthen LANXESS’ position in Korea’s electrical and electronics market."

Meanwhile, current CEO Je-woong Ko, who has led LANXESS Korea for about 16 years, will retire honorably as of June 30. Ko is a veteran with 40 years of experience in the chemical industry, having joined Bayer Korea in 1981 and serving as CEO since LANXESS Korea’s establishment in 2006, driving the company’s growth.

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