New Samsung Electro-Mechanics President's 'Sseoltok' Debut: "Let's Become the No.1 Tech Company"... Hobby is Surfing

Jang Deok-hyun, New President of Samsung Electro-Mechanics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Jang Deokhyun, the newly appointed CEO of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, held a conversation session called 'Sseoltok (Thursday Talk)' with employees on the 23rd. Sseoltok, a unique organizational culture of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, is a communication time held every Thursday for about an hour to discuss various topics such as management, culture, and trends. It consists of various speakers including the CEO, division heads, and employees, and employees watch the live broadcast on their PCs and communicate with the speakers via chat.

At the first Sseoltok, CEO Jang introduced himself and answered employees' questions one by one. Right after his inauguration, he posted an inaugural address on the intranet asking employees to freely share any questions or expectations they had about him. Accordingly, Samsung Electro-Mechanics conducted an anonymous survey titled "Ask anything you want to CEO Jang Deokhyun!" and employees left about 1,000 vivid questions.

CEO Jang candidly answered questions ranging from sensitive topics such as performance bonuses, welfare, and benefits to hobbies, his personal strengths, and his vision of Samsung Electro-Mechanics three years from now. In particular, he mentioned surfing as a hobby and received much enthusiasm from employees by saying, "If we meet at the beach next summer, I will buy you a meal."

He then revealed that his favorite words are 'Tech' and 'Future,' emphasizing, "Samsung Electro-Mechanics' future must be as a tech company." He added, "We must have a future technology roadmap to surpass competitors with leading technologies, pioneer the future, and internalize core components to become a top-tier component company. Let's move forward as the number one tech company with overwhelming technological capabilities." He also said, "Regardless of position or field, I respect the top experts in each area," and encouraged, "All Samsung Electro-Mechanics employees should become experts in their core tasks."

During the first Sseoltok, which recorded high viewership, employees responded in the chat window with comments such as, "I felt humanity in the honest answers to sensitive questions," "It was good to feel straightforward and sincere leadership," and "I can sense the deep consideration given to Samsung Electro-Mechanics' vision and direction."

After his inauguration, CEO Jang visited domestic sites such as Busan and Sejong and met with employee representatives to hear voices from the field. He promised, "In addition to the Thursday Sseoltok, I will hold weekly tea time sessions called ‘Communication Window (Chang)’ with employees, and will continue to develop a culture of mutual respect and communication."

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