Hyundai Motor Secures Future Growth... First Female Outside Director's Ambition

Professor Lee Ji-yoon, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
First Interview with the Media
"Advice as a Technology Expert"
Efforts to Increase Diversity in Outside Directors

"Hyundai Motor Company is expanding new businesses related to future mobility such as hydrogen energy, autonomous driving, UAM (Urban Air Mobility), and robotics, so the number of technology-related agenda items discussed at the board of directors is increasing. I provide opinions based on my understanding of technology. When it is not my area of expertise, I make great efforts to understand the technology. Sometimes, I even receive crash courses on the latest technologies from KAIST professors. KAIST gathers experts in almost every technology field."

Lee Ji-yoon, the first female outside director at Hyundai Motor and a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), spoke about her experience on the board. She said she strives to make better decisions as a technology expert on the board. She is also working to increase the number of female personnel within the group.

Professor Lee Ji-yoon, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
[Photo by Lee Ji-yoon]

"The title of 'first' is familiar, but it also brings a sense of responsibility"

Professor Lee is one of the leading aerospace engineering experts in Korea. After graduating from Yonsei University in 1997, she earned a master's degree from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2005. She also worked as a system engineer at a semiconductor company in Silicon Valley. Before joining KAIST, she helped establish next-generation navigation programs and policies at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Since then, she has carried the title of "first." She was the first female director of the Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences and, in 2019, became the first Korean professor to serve as a director of the Institute of Navigation in the U.S. Founded in 1945, this institute is the most prestigious organization in the field of navigation, with members from over 50 countries.

Still, when she first received the offer to become an outside director from Hyundai Motor, Professor Lee said she felt "vague." It is not a role commonly given to technology experts, so there was no obvious place to seek advice. She said, "As the first female outside director from a major corporation within KAIST's College of Engineering, I felt a responsibility to pave a path without precedent." She added, "I am familiar with being the first female professor in my department, and now I am glad to share my experience with other female professors in science and engineering who have been appointed as outside directors."

Professor Lee said she does not feel burdened by being a female outside director because fundamentally, the role does not change based on gender. However, since the participation of female executives on boards in Korea is still at an early stage, she is working with Hyundai Motor Group to recruit outstanding female talent. She said, "Hyundai Motor Group has the highest proportion of women compared to domestic peers in the industry," and that she has advised on the need to recruit excellent female talent and nurture female leader role models.

Her efforts bore fruit in March. Choi Yoon-hee, a labor law expert and professor at Konkuk University Law School, joined Hyundai Motor's outside board members. Professor Lee said, "I have long argued for the need to increase the proportion of women on the board, so I am pleased to have contributed to this."

She believes the role of an outside director is to oversee value management and protect shareholders' rights. The most essential virtues for this are understanding and communication. Professor Lee said, "A group with expertise can create the greatest synergy when communication is maximized," adding, "The scope of communication should include the board itself, management, stakeholders, and external experts."

Professor Lee Ji-yoon, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) [Photo provided by the individual]

"Increase in future new business agenda items... communication and diversity are important"

Professor Lee uses her technical expertise to provide opinions during key decision-making processes. Examples include the direction of mid- to long-term future businesses, managing technology lists, and investing in future technologies for new businesses. Among these, agenda items related to hydrogen energy, autonomous driving, and robotics have significantly increased. Since her expertise is limited to certain fields, she also seeks help from other professors when topics fall outside her domain.

Her term runs until March next year. During the remaining period, she wants to assist Hyundai Motor in preparing business roadmaps for eco-friendly vehicles, UAM, robotics, and more. She also did not hesitate to offer suggestions for better board operations.

"To practice value management, the board's diversity and expertise must be strengthened. Hyundai Motor is continuously implementing this. It is encouraging that the number of outside directors increased from six to seven and that experts in fields such as economics, finance, law, and future technologies have been secured. Any system requires continuous improvement, and diversity is essential for this. I want to be a person who symbolizes Hyundai Motor's diversity."

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