[Chaekdam] 1 Trillion Won Sales Legend... "Perseverance to Succeed, Believe in Yourself"

From Adidas Staff to Vice President
Breaking Boundaries and Surpassing Nike's Sales

Kang Hyung-geun, CEO of HK&COMPANY

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] “I had no outstanding credentials from a regional university,” but my passion was exceptional. This is the story of Kang Hyung-geun, CEO of HK&COMPANY, who served as one of only ten Adidas brand directors worldwide. He led Adidas’s domestic sales from a mere 30 billion KRW in 1989 to a scale of 1 trillion KRW in 2017, surpassing its strong rival Nike. At first glance, he might seem like a workaholic consumed by work, but he is actually a master of time management who has adhered to “leaving work on time” for 30 years. He has also maintained mentor-mentee relationships for decades with top executives from leading companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Cheil Worldwide, and he himself is a master of human relations who has helped others as a mentor. Currently, he is also a management consultant expert helping companies enter the global market through digital transformation. We met CEO Kang Hyung-geun on the 14th, who recently published a book titled Create Your Own Game (Hreum Publishing) containing these stories.

- You rose from a job seeker who begged companies for employment to the position of Adidas vice president. Various factors must have played a role, but what do you think was the most important cause?

▲ First was performance (contribution), second was mindset (passion and ownership), third was attitude (initiative and execution), and fourth was leadership in driving and managing change. When I joined in 1989, domestic sales were about 30 billion KRW, but by 2017, we achieved 1 trillion KRW in sales, surpassing Nike in Korea. The fierce and meticulous effort, perseverance, and the consistent execution of the 'Play to Win' attitude I showed during that process seem to have become a model.

- Effort is a matter of determination, but performance is a matter of ability. Were you naturally talented?

▲ I am a thorough hard worker. When I joined, I visited the company seven times to show my passion. I promised to do my best even though I couldn’t prove myself immediately. There were many strong competitors at the time, but my passion stood out. I always prepare for the future. From the time I joined, I distributed newspaper clippings to encourage employees to study English, and I still clip economic newspapers daily. I always strive to be a prepared person.

- What was the secret to surpassing the sales of your powerful competitor Nike?

▲ Even the strongest giant has weaknesses. While benchmarking their strengths, we did what they didn’t. At the time, I wasn’t confident we could beat Nike in basketball, soccer, or running. However, after the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, seeing the boundary between sports and lifestyle blur, we began promoting the sports lifestyle category ‘Originals.’ Initially, the headquarters opposed it to maintain authenticity, but after seeing domestic sales rise to 400 billion KRW, their attitude changed. While Nike focused on soccer and baseball, we supported less popular sports like handball and weightlifting. During the Beijing Olympics, 70% of our athletes wore and used Adidas products. Participants in TV shows like Show Me the Money and High School Rapper were the same. We were relatively weak in Gyeongsang Province, but by persuading the Lotte Giants and hosting marathons with Busan city, from 2016, we surpassed Nike’s sales even in Busan.

- You emphasized the attitude of knowing oneself, especially the method of objectively viewing oneself. Could you explain this in more detail?

▲ There are usually four types of ‘self’: the self only I know, the self both I and others know, the self only others know but I don’t, and the self neither I nor others know. To truly know oneself, feedback from colleagues and those around you is important. When I was Adidas vice president, to avoid confirmation bias, I conducted anonymous surveys with employees once a year. They gave feedback on what I should maintain, improve, or newly try. Developing character and personality and becoming a respected leader requires understanding oneself through feedback from others.

- You have impressive mentors such as Kwon Oh-hyun, former chairman of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Song Dae-hyun, former president of LG Electronics, and Kim Nak-hoe, former president of Cheil Worldwide. In your book, you emphasized the right attitude to build genuine networks.

▲ For over a decade, I have met mentors Kwon Oh-hyun, Song Dae-hyun, and Kim Nak-hoe two or three times a year. I actively sought meetings to learn about their insights and leadership in leading large organizations and listened attentively. In my first meeting with former President Kwon Oh-hyun, he shared so many precious words that I took notes on over 15 napkins. That left a strong impression, and we developed a deep relationship. The will to improve is important, but showing growth pleases them greatly. That is why mentor-mentee relationships endure.

- Regardless of status, humans are always engulfed by anxiety. You mentioned how to manage anxiety. What is the core?

▲ In an era of vast plains where one finds paths amid ambiguity, the standard of the correct answer changes moment by moment. No one can assert a definitive answer. The past is ‘history,’ the future is ‘mystery,’ but since what I think now becomes the future, I believe the first step to relieving anxiety is to trust yourself without comparing to others. Instead of looking for others’ seemingly good clothes, find the clothes that fit you. I only realized after turning 50 how fun education and lectures can be. Instead of wasting time worrying, start early, prepare, and execute to reduce anxiety. Don’t compare yourself to others; follow the energy where your heart leads.

- You said the 6C logic enhances business sensitivity. Could you explain in more detail?

▲ By defining six 'C' categories and analyzing regular flows, you can develop analytical skills to predict new business opportunities, risks, and strategic tipping points.

- Lifestyle trends occurring in major cities worldwide (country & city)

- Changes in product or service categories within the business (category)

- Changes in sales channels ? offline stores, online stores, e-commerce, social commerce (channel)

- Customer feedback and input to the company (opinions) ? customer

- Changes in consumer behavior and preferences ? consumer

- You said you adhered to leaving work on time but utilized 100% of your working hours. Time management must have been challenging.

▲ Density is more important than quantity of labor. Time is given equally to everyone. I divided the day into before work, morning, afternoon, and after work and used it efficiently. The power of accumulating 10,000 hours over days, months, and years is tremendous. If you want different results from others, invest your time differently. ‘Leaving work on time’ was a safety measure to avoid being consumed by work while staying focused.

- Companies find it difficult to deal with MZ generation employees, and employees often don’t understand companies, causing frequent conflicts. Do you have insights to bridge this gap?

▲ I know very well how smart the 20-30s MZ generation is. They don’t trust unless shown through actions. You must help them through actual actions and recognize them. The inclusive leadership of ‘Ingamdojang’ (Recognition, Gratitude, Help, Awesome) is most important. You must acknowledge their differences from older generations and provide opportunities for trial and error, but many corporate environments don’t allow this. They value the present over the future, the individual over the organization, and work-life balance over salary. Recognizing these traits is necessary.

- You are working to help companies with digital transformation.

▲ When I was at my peak, I suddenly went abroad to study because I thought it was meaningless if I couldn’t adapt globally. Now is the era of tech management. You need to understand logistics and retail tech. Through Seoul National University’s Future Convergence Executive Program, I learned about digital technologies like robotics, AI, and blockchain and realized what digital technology is and what models it creates. In a situation of declining population, the way for SMEs and startups to survive is to enter the global market. I find great satisfaction in helping multiple companies with pioneering experience during this great transformation rather than just increasing one company’s sales.

▶Who is author Kang Hyung-geun?

He is the CEO of HK&COMPANY, a professor at the Federation of Korean Industries’ International Business School, and former Adidas brand director. He is a marketer who kept the promise of “leaving work on time no matter what” for over 30 years and became one of only ten Adidas brand directors worldwide. He led Adidas from 30 billion KRW in sales to a scale of 1 trillion KRW. Currently, he leads HK&COMPANY, researching management, organization, business models, and personal capability strategies related to corporate digital transformation.

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