Heads of Securities Research Centers Moving to Key Positions

Kiwoom Securities Appoints Kim Jisan as Head of Strategic Planning
Daishin Securities Names Jeong Yeonwoo Executive Director and Head of Wholesale Division

Jisan Kim, Head of Strategic Planning Division at Kiwoom Securities. Photo by Kiwoom Securities

Kim Ji-san, who was recently promoted to executive director, left the analyst industry on the 2nd and moved to the internal Strategic Planning Headquarters at Kiwoom Securities. With Eom Ju-seong, head of Kiwoom Securities' Strategic Planning Headquarters (President), being appointed as the next CEO of Kiwoom Securities, the vacancy was filled. The Strategic Planning Headquarters is a position that carefully manages both internal and external affairs of the company, from strategy and planning to human resources and public relations, emphasizing internal communication skills. As a result, Kim Ji-san, who has 23 years of experience, will also be leaving the analyst industry for the time being.

The successor, Lee Jong-hyung, is the first external research center head, having worked at Daishin Securities, Meritz Securities, and Hyundai Motor. Since the inaugural center head Park Yeon-chae in 2006, internal successors such as Park Hee-jung and Kim Ji-san have continued the lineage, so this appointment is considered a surprise. He was also promoted to director in the recent promotion list. He is a specialist analyst in steel, metals, and utilities, graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and earned a master's degree from the same university’s graduate school. He also holds a US Certified Public Accountant (USCPA) license.

Lee Jong-hyung, newly appointed Head of Research Center at Kiwoom Securities. Photo by Kiwoom Securities

The future paths of research center heads are also becoming more diverse. Jeong Yeon-woo, who served as research center head at Daishin Securities for five years, recently moved to the position of head of the wholesale division. Jeong was a notable figure who attracted attention in the regular personnel reshuffle at the end of 2018 by being promoted two ranks from manager to executive director in a bold move. It is expected that he will utilize the analytical skills he built as research center head in corporate sales and other areas.

Yoo Seung-chang, executive director and former head of KB Securities Research Center, moved last year to become head of the ECM (Equity Capital Markets) division in the Investment Banking (IB) sector. It is rare for a research center head to move to lead the IB division rather than wholesale or retail. Internally, it is understood that the ability to properly assess fair valuation (corporate value) in the ECM sector, including IPOs, was deemed important. Currently, the research center is operated under a co-head system with Kim Sang-hoon (asset allocation) and Kim Dong-won (semiconductors, electrical and electronics).

Yoon Ji-ho, executive director and former head of Ebest Investment & Securities Research Center, also moved last year to become head of the retail business division. The retail business division oversees two headquarters: the Digital Sales Headquarters and the Retail Finance Headquarters. Although the rank remains the same, moving to lead a higher-level organization than the research center is regarded as a de facto promotion. The previous investment strategy team leader, Shin Jung-ho, took over as research center head.

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