HLB Group Announces 2026 Executive Appointments...Reorganizes Leadership Structure with a Focus on Future Growth

HLB Group announced its 2026 regular executive appointments on December 2. The group has reorganized its leadership structure with a focus on the core keywords of "strategic focus" and "building a foundation for new growth," aiming to solidify its mid- to long-term growth strategy.

HLB Group Chairman Jin Yang-gon will step down from his position as CEO of HLB to focus on his role as Chairman of the Group Board of Directors. He explained that this was a strategic decision to directly lead the design of the group's mid- to long-term growth roadmap and the execution of global strategies.

Chairman Jin plans to drive HLB Group's continued enhancement of corporate value and acceleration of global expansion by focusing on securing future growth engines, creating synergies among affiliates, and strengthening global partnerships. He also plans to expand the shareholder communication approach he has maintained since 2017 to the entire group, and will now actively communicate directly with shareholders of listed affiliates.

The group has also reorganized the On-site Support Headquarters, which effectively serves as the group's control tower and reports directly to the chairman. The Planning and HR Division has been expanded and reorganized into the Strategic Planning Division, and a new Future Strategy Team has been established under it to systematically design the group's mid- to long-term growth strategy. This reflects the group's commitment to discovering new business opportunities and securing future growth engines, based on its confidence in obtaining approval and commercializing new drugs for liver and bile duct cancer next year.

HLB Group plans to enhance management focus by strengthening the single-CEO system, and to build a clear, performance-based accountability structure.

Kim Hong-chul, CEO of HLB Innovation, has been nominated as President and CEO of HLB, and the company will operate under a single-CEO system. He will be officially appointed as CEO through the general shareholders' meeting and board of directors. Kim Hong-chul is recognized for establishing a foundation for growth through organizational restructuring and management efficiency as the first CEO of HLB Innovation, which was acquired in 2023. He has also been highly praised for actively supporting the group's U.S. subsidiary, Verismo, which is developing CAR-T therapies, and contributing to global R&D achievements. Based on his experience at HLB Innovation, Kim is expected to reliably manage and support the approval and commercialization of new drugs at HLB's U.S. subsidiary, Elevar, as CEO of HLB.

Yoon Jong-sun, CEO of HLB Science, has been nominated as President and CEO of HLB Innovation. Yoon Jong-sun has both technical and business expertise, having previously served as CEO of HiCell and completed a specialized research program in the biomedical field in Australia. With an integrated perspective and execution capability spanning both the semiconductor and bio sectors, he is considered the right person to lead HLB Innovation's growth and global business expansion.

Nam Sang-woo, Senior Vice Chairman of HLB Group and CEO of HLB Life Science, has been appointed as an advisor, making the direction of generational change and role redefinition within the organization even clearer.

Baek Yun-ki, CEO of HLB, has been nominated as the new CEO of HLB Life Science, reinforcing the single-CEO system to accelerate decision-making and strengthen performance-based accountability management.

Ji-hwan Lee, Director of the Bio-Link Team at the group's On-site Support Headquarters, has been promoted to Executive Director and nominated as CEO of HLB Cell, a subsidiary of HLB Life Science. This is a strategic appointment aimed at revitalizing the organization through generational change and strengthening the foundation for future growth. In addition, as HLB Cell transitions from an R&D-focused system to the commercialization phase-such as with the commercialization of the organoid biomaterial "HuTreeGel" and the powdered surgical hemostatic agent "BleeFix"-Ji-hwan Lee, who has extensive marketing experience at several global bio companies, is considered the right person for the role.

Additionally, Kim Do-yeon, CEO of HLB Genex, has been nominated as CEO of the subsidiary HLB Neurotov, and Jang In-geun as CEO of HLB Panagene. Each will concurrently serve as CEO of the subsidiary BioSquare, thereby strengthening business connections and synergies between parent and subsidiary companies, and establishing a stable, performance-based management system.

Moon Jeong-hwan, Vice Chairman of HLB Group's HR Division, stated, "This round of appointments will be a turning point for advancing the group's growth structure through strategic focus and the establishment of a foundation for future growth. Going forward, we will further strengthen our performance-oriented organizational management system, clarify responsibilities and results, and enhance the group's overall drive and execution capability by securing outstanding talent."

He added, "With Chairman Jin Yang-gon's future-oriented strategic leadership, the group's direction will become even clearer, and we expect not only stronger cooperation among affiliates but also accelerated overseas business expansion."

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