7345 Executives in Top 100 Companies... Half Born in the 1970s

Report on Age Distribution of Executives in Top 100 Companies
3,878 Born in the 1970s... 52.8% of the Total

The number of executives in the top 100 domestic companies this year was recorded at 7,345, the highest figure since 2010.

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According to a survey conducted by global headhunting firm Unico Search on the 13th, based on this year's semi-annual reports of the top 100 companies by revenue among listed companies last year, the total number of inside directors (registered executives) and non-registered executives was 7,345. This is an increase of 170 (2.4%) from the 7,175 executives identified in the top 100 companies last year.

Changes in the Number of Executives in the Top 100 Companies.
Photo by Unico Search

Looking at the number of executives in the top 100 companies by year: ▲2010 (6,000) ▲2011 (6,610) ▲2012 (6,818) ▲2013 (6,831) ▲2014 (7,212) ▲2015 (6,928) ▲2016 (6,829) ▲2017 (6,900) ▲2018 (6,843) ▲2019 (6,932) ▲2020 (6,871) ▲2021 (6,664) ▲2022 (7,175) ▲2023 (7,345).

Among the executives of the top 100 companies, there are 277 registered executives at the CEO level, with those born in the early 1960s (1960?1964) accounting for the highest proportion at 117 (42.2%) in five-year generational units.

By single birth year, those born in 1964 (age 59) were the most numerous at 35. They were followed by those born in 1965 (27), 1963 (26), 1961 (25), and 1962 (20). Notable figures born in 1964 include Jang Jae-hoon, President of Hyundai Motor Company; Jeong Il-taek, President of Kumho Tire; Yoon Chun-sung, President of LX International; and Hong Won-hak, President of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

Inside directors born in the 1970s and 1980s total 42, among whom Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha (born 1983), is the youngest CEO-level executive among the top 100 companies.

Among all executives in the top 100 companies, including both registered and non-registered executives, the birth year with the most executives was ▲1970 (759 executives, 10.3%). They were followed by ▲1971 (753), ▲1969 (734), ▲1968 (667), ▲1972 (603), ▲1967 (535), ▲1973 (480), and ▲1974 (387).

"Year-end personnel changes likely to highlight those born in the early 1970s"

Compared to last year, the birth year with the most executives appointed this year was 1973 (116), followed by 1971 (78), 1976 (77), 1974 (75), and 1975 (70), all with over 70 executives appointed.

Executives born in the early 1970s (1970?1974, 2,982) combined with those born in the late 1970s (1975?1979, 896) total 3,878, accounting for 52.8% of all executives, marking the first time that executives born in the 1970s have surpassed half of the executive proportion in the top 100 companies. The number of executives born after 1980 increased from 105 last year to 131 this year.

On the other hand, the proportion of executives born in the late 1960s (1965?1969) decreased noticeably from 46.2% in 2020 to 36.1% this year, and those born in the early 1960s (1960?1964) dropped significantly from 22.5% to 8.1% over the same period.

Kim Hye-yang, CEO of Unico Search, said, "Overall, there is a high possibility of reducing the number of executives, so the number of newly appointed executives is likely to be small," and predicted, "In the 2024 personnel changes for large companies to be implemented at the end of this year and early next year, retirements of those born in 1960 will accelerate, while the rise of those born in the early 1970s will be prominent."

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