Looking into ESG Committee Members of Samsung and Hyundai Motor: "Mostly Professors, Men in Their 60s"

Analysis of FKI's 'Status of ESG Committees in 51 Affiliates of 30 Major Groups'... 40% of 207 Members Are Professors

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Amid the recent spread of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) management, it has been found that the members of ESG committees of major companies such as Samsung, Hyundai Motor, and SK are mainly professors, men in their 60s.

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) announced on the 11th through the report "Status of Composition and Operation of ESG Committees in 30 Major Groups" that it analyzed the personal information such as major careers, age groups, and gender of 207 chairpersons and members of ESG committees within the boards of directors of 51 companies from 16 groups that have established ESG committees among the top 30 groups, based on corporate governance reports and related disclosures.

(Data provided by the Federation of Korean Industries)

According to the analysis, among the 207 chairpersons and members, the most common major career was professor at 40.1% (83 people). Business executives ranked second at 33.3%, followed by senior public officials (11.6%) and legal professionals (8.7%). The universities where the professors were employed were mainly Seoul National University (22 people), Korea University (15 people), and Yonsei University (7 people). The professors’ fields of specialization were business administration (35 people), law (12 people), engineering (12 people), and economics (11 people), in that order.

The age group of ESG committee members was predominantly in their 60s at 50.2%, accounting for more than half, and those in their 50s made up 38.2%, meaning that the middle-aged group in their 50s and 60s accounted for 88.4%. The youngest member was Professor Park Saerom of Sungshin Women’s University’s Department of Convergence Security Engineering, aged 32, from Kakao.

Regarding gender, men overwhelmingly accounted for 87.4% (181 people). Women were only 26 (12.6%), and there were no female chairpersons. Among female members, those in their 50s were the largest group with 14 people, and the most common occupation was professor, accounting for 69.2%.

The FKI counted that 39 out of the 51 companies specified the duties and roles of the ESG committees. The common authorities specified by these companies were ▲ establishing ESG strategic plans ▲ enhancing and protecting shareholder rights. Additionally, Hanwha and POSCO emphasized the environment, while Hyundai Heavy Industries and Kakao stipulated strengthening internal ESG capabilities. In the case of SK Group, the committee is specified to review not only ESG management but also major management strategy matters across the group.

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