81-Year-Born Female 'Convergent Leader' Appointed as Naver Chief

Choi Su-yeon Appointed as New CEO
Equipped with Both Technical Expertise and Humanities Insight
Combines Diverse Perspectives for 'New Synergy' and Strong Problem-Solving Skills
Only Six Executives Younger Than Choi... Leading Older Executives Remains a Challenge

Naver, the largest IT company in South Korea, has embarked on an experiment by putting forward convergence-type talents who possess both technical and humanities capabilities. Naver has appointed Choi Soo-yeon, born in 1981 and the head of the Global Business Support Department, as its next CEO. Choi is regarded as a talent with a well-rounded background encompassing both science and liberal arts, having graduated from Seoul National University's College of Engineering and attended Harvard Law School.

Young ‘Convergence-type Leader’

According to Naver on the 18th, the board of directors held a meeting the previous day and selected Choi as the new head. Kim Nam-seon, a lead manager, was appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Choi graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Earth and Environmental System Engineering, worked at NHN (Naver’s predecessor) in 2005, then attended Yonsei University Law School and Harvard Law School in the U.S., obtaining a New York State Bar license. She rejoined Naver in 2019 and worked in the Global Business Support Department.

While Naver CEO Han Sung-sook had specialized expertise in service planning, Choi, who graduated from an engineering school and worked as a lawyer, possesses a balanced mix of technical expertise and humanities knowledge. She is a ‘convergence-type leader’ who breaks the mold that an IT service expert must be the CEO. Given the internal and external difficulties Naver faced, including employees’ extreme choices, it is interpreted that Naver is renewing its organization with a convergence-type leader who has humanities literacy.

The advantage of a convergence-type leader lies in combining diverse perspectives to create new synergies. A prime example is Apple. Steve Jobs, an icon of convergence talent, emphasized convergence literacy by saying, "Apple exists at the intersection of humanities and technology." Another strength of convergence talents is their excellent problem-solving ability. With Choi, an engineering graduate with humanities capabilities, becoming the head of Naver, which operates various businesses such as shopping and content, there is anticipation for new synergies. A Naver official said, "Choi was highly evaluated for her problem-solving skills demonstrated while supporting domestic and international businesses, as well as her broad understanding of the company’s business strategy and market."

Challenge of Leading Older Executives

However, the key question is whether Choi, who has worked at Naver for just over two years, can demonstrate leadership to command and captivate the 120 executives at Naver. According to Naver’s quarterly report, only six executives are younger than 40-year-old Choi. This means she will lead 113 older executives.

Although IT companies are said to have a horizontal culture, executives who have to accept a CEO much younger than themselves are inevitably uncomfortable. Including Choi, there are 120 executives at the lead manager level or above at Naver: 16 in their 50s, including Lee Hae-jin, Global Investment Officer (GIO); 98 in their 40s; and 6 in their 30s. An industry insider said, "Since Choi is young and has a short career, there may be a sentiment questioning how much she really knows about Naver," adding, "The key will be how much leadership capability Choi can demonstrate."

Choi, Nominee (right), Kim Nam-sun, Naver CFO Nominee

‘Global’ and ‘Organizational Renewal’

Choi plans to actively pursue global management and organizational culture improvement. She will activate the ‘Naver Transition Task Force (TF)’ to accelerate global management and speed up the establishment of new leadership and organizational restructuring for improving organizational culture. Naver is treating this year as the inaugural year for global expansion, focusing on business growth in the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

However, there is also a view that the new head will find it difficult to escape the influence of founder Lee Hae-jin, the GIO. A source familiar with Naver’s situation said, "Naver is fundamentally under Lee Hae-jin’s direct control," adding, "Although having a young lawyer as CEO may show an image renewal on the surface, internally it means Lee Hae-jin’s dominance will remain." Meanwhile, CEO Han and the existing management team will assist with the handover until March next year and take on necessary roles to help Naver continue its global challenges.

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