Samsung Electronics President Kyung Kye-hyun: "Please call me KH, not President"

Expectations for the Spread of Horizontal Organization and Communication Culture

[Asia Economy Reporter Sunmi Park] "Please call me KH, not President."

Kyung Kye-hyun, President of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor (DS) Division, suggested to employees to call him by his English name initials, "KH," instead of the title "President." This is interpreted as part of building a flexible and horizontal organizational culture amid a trend among major domestic companies to break down ranks and titles.

According to Samsung Electronics on the 8th, President Kyung requested through the internal bulletin board "Now" to call him KH instead of CEO, President, or Division Head. He also proposed that other executives choose the names they want to be called by.

President Kyung said, "When meeting foreign clients, everyone calls me KH, and when sending emails to me, they start with 'Dear KH.'" He added, "I hope employees also call me KH-nim or Kyehyeon-nim." Employees responded positively to President Kyung’s suggestion, leaving comments starting with "Dear KH" or "Kyehyeon-nim," praising it as a good idea. There is a sense of recent change in the previously rigid company culture.

Samsung Electronics announced an innovation plan for a "future-oriented personnel system" last November to improve organizational culture. The plan focuses on abolishing seniority-based personnel systems, eliminating promotion periods by rank, and integrating vice president and professional ranks. The annual promotion announcement was also not held this year. These measures aim to rapidly spread a horizontal organizational culture and communication without hierarchy within the organization.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics DS Division conducts direct communication with employees every Wednesday through "WeTalk," which President Kyung first launched in December last year.

Recently, not only executives such as the CEO, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and division heads but also Monica, one of the participants in "Street Woman Fighter," joined, drawing attention. Besides WeTalk, the management shares their vision and thoughts with employees by issuing weekly CEO messages. The proposal for this title change was also communicated to employees through the CEO message.

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