First Female Head of Suhyup Bank Kang Shin-sook: "A Second Leap... I Will Make It Exciting"

'The First Manufacturer'... A Trailblazer Who Broke the Glass Ceiling
"Next Year Is the Dawn of Digital Innovation... Invest Properly"

Kang Sin-sook, the nominee for President of Suhyup Bank, participating as a mentor at the '2019 Asia Women Leaders Forum'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] Kang Shin-sook, Vice President of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, has been nominated as the next president of Sh Suhyup Bank. She is the first female president of Suhyup Bank and the second internal candidate to become president following Kim Jin-gyun.

According to the financial sector on the 16th, the Suhyup Bank President Recommendation Committee unanimously selected Kang as the next leader yesterday afternoon. Suhyup Bank plans to pass a resolution to appoint Kang as president through the board of directors and the general shareholders' meeting. In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the same day, Kang said, "We will achieve a second leap forward for Suhyup Bank through autonomous and responsible management," adding, "I will create an exciting workplace together with the employees."

Breaking the Glass Ceiling Again

Kang is a pioneering figure within Suhyup. She has broken multiple glass ceilings as the first female branch manager, first female head of a department, first female vice president, and first female registered executive. After graduating from Jeonju Girls' Commercial High School, Kang joined the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives in 1979. She later graduated from Korea National Open University and completed a master's program in political administration at Yonsei University Graduate School.

Kang has extensive field experience as a sales expert. Her passion is well known among employees. The story of her time at the Ogeum-dong branch is famous within Suhyup. In 2001, when the branch was on the brink due to poor performance, she was appointed branch manager and transformed it into the top-performing branch. Kang was known for her detailed sales approach, even creating a "customer management notebook" based on information gathered from client meetings. She also encouraged employees to keep "management notebooks," believing that a sense of ownership would generate synergy within the organization. During her two years as branch manager, Ogeum-dong branch recorded first place in performance for eight consecutive quarters.

Kang also became the "face of Suhyup." For the 40th anniversary of its founding, she was chosen as the image advertising model instead of a celebrity, being the same age as Suhyup at forty years old. Kang later held key positions such as branch manager of Seocho-dong and head of the metropolitan headquarters. In 2016, she was appointed as the first female executive director of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, becoming the first female registered executive in 54 years since Suhyup's establishment in 1962.

"Strength in Communication"... Major Challenges Ahead

Kang's strength lies in her communication skills. Being an internal candidate, she easily understands the work and adapts quickly. A financial sector official said, "Capital expansion is essential for bank operations, and since the central federation's investment is important, Kang is the right person for the job."

Kang faces several challenges after taking office. Suhyup, which fully repaid its public funds last September, now faces the important task of digital transformation for its next leap forward. The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives received 1.1581 trillion won in public funds from the government in 2001, and last September paid 757.4 billion won in government bonds to the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, clearing all government debt after 21 years?six years ahead of the original plan. Additionally, as the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives is pushing to transition to a financial holding company system by 2030, the growth of Suhyup Bank has also become a key task.

Regarding this, Kang said, "Until now, we could not make proper investments due to the burden of public funds," adding, "Digital transformation is necessary for sustainable growth. We will declare next year as the inaugural year of digital innovation, create a roadmap, and push it strongly." She also emphasized, "The role as a cooperative bank is important," and added, "We will strive to create an ecosystem for the development of fishermen and the fisheries industry."

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