Homeplus, First Organizational Restructuring Since President Lee Je-hoon's Appointment... "A Bold Move for Product Differentiation"

Jo Ju-yeon, Head of Marketing Division (left), Kim Woong, Head of Product Division 1, Oh Jae-yong, Head of Product Division 2, Hwang Jung-wook, Head of Finance Division.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Homeplus announced on the 8th that it has carried out an organizational restructuring of the merchandise division and recruited external executives, marking the first organizational restructuring 60 days after President Lee Jae-hoon took office. This organizational restructuring and the appointment of new executives will take effect on the 12th.

This restructuring subdivides the merchandise division, which had been overseen by a single division head, into Merchandise Division 1 and Merchandise Division 2, each managed by its own division head. This reflects President Lee’s field- and customer-centric management philosophy, as he began his work by visiting store sites rather than starting at the headquarters office on his first day.

Homeplus plans to make various efforts to innovate its merchandise, the essence of distribution. By differentiating products that can only be found at Homeplus, both online and offline, the company aims to provide customers with enjoyable shopping experiences and diverse opportunities. To this end, the buyer organization responsible for sourcing products will be separated to strengthen expertise by category and maximize business performance.

Kim Woong, Executive Director who has been in charge of the Homeplus merchandise division since 2018, will lead Merchandise Division 1, overseeing product sourcing for fresh foods, bakery, electronics, as well as support tasks such as merchandise support and product safety. Kim started his distribution career in 1994 as a livestock buyer at Hanwha Distribution and has held various positions including head of the livestock team, head of the seafood team, head of fresh food standards management, head of the convenience food product division, and head of the fresh food innovation division.

The head of Merchandise Division 2 will be Executive Director Oh Jae-yong, recruited externally. Oh began his career in 1993 as a merchandise MD at Dongyang Group (now Orion) By The Way, and later served as head of the non-food team and merchandise division head at 7-Eleven. Merchandise Division 2 will oversee grocery products, private brand (PB) products, leisure and culture, home living and home interior, and fashion products.

For the marketing division, former Korea McDonald’s President Cho Joo-yeon has been appointed as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Vice President. Cho started as a product designer at LG Electronics in 1992, worked in global product development and marketing at Motorola Korea and its U.S. headquarters, and led marketing for Asia and emerging markets at Haworth, a specialized office furniture company. From 2011, she served as CMO and CEO of Korea McDonald’s, becoming the first Korean and first female president of Korea McDonald’s, gaining significant attention.

Homeplus has recruited former Korea AstraZeneca CFO Hwang Jung-wook to fill the vacant Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director position. Hwang has served as CFO for extended periods at Pizza Hut Korea, Korea AstraZeneca, and Gong Cha’s UK branch.

President Lee said, “I expect the newly restructured merchandise division and the executives joining Homeplus to clearly present the reasons why customers should visit Homeplus and why they should buy our products, thereby greatly contributing to the company’s development.”

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