[5 Years of Koo Kwang-mo's Leadership] Shedding the 'Quiet Chairman' Image... Presence Through Youth and Innovation

④ Increasing External Exposure by Koo Kwang-mo
Leading Innovation as a Young 40s Chairman

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is known for demonstrating a 'quiet leadership' style among the heads of the four major conglomerates. He focuses on work rather than protocol even at official events and takes only a minimal number of people during site visits, maintaining a practical approach. It is a well-known anecdote that, following his belief that "the CEOs of subsidiaries should stand out for the company to progress," he himself requested to be called by his position (CEO) rather than his rank (Chairman) as the head of the holding company.

However, there has been a change in Chairman Koo’s approach as he marks his 5th anniversary in office. He has been increasing his public exposure significantly. Emphasizing his youthful image as a leader in his 40s, he is actively leading innovation and revealing his unique management style while asserting his presence externally as the group’s head. Chairman Koo is 45 years old this year, making him the youngest and the only leader in his 40s among the four major conglomerates. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is 55, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won is 62, and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun is 52.

For example, on April 17, Chairman Koo attracted some attention in the business community by publicly sharing photos of his visit to LG Chem’s cathode material plant. On that day, he inspected the cathode material production line and reviewed production status and strategies to oversee the group’s core battery supply chain business. Photos of him wearing production overalls and a dust mask while touring the site were rarely seen before.

It seems he has decided that it is time to boldly showcase his strengths as a young leader and emphasize 'innovation.' In March, at the LG Tech Conference, he gave the opening speech dressed in a black hoodie, white sneakers, and jeans. Those who saw him recalled former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who often wore black turtlenecks and jeans, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who appears in hoodies and backpacks even at official events.

Recently, he has been openly expressing his own management philosophy. At the LG Awards ceremony in April, which recognizes cases of innovative products, technologies, or services that achieved results over the past year, he emphasized, "The goal and direction of LG Awards’ innovation is not grandiose technology or business achievements for our own satisfaction, but rather to create new value and lead to recognition of LG by accumulating small but meaningful experiences for each and every customer."

He is also active as a member of the 'private diplomacy' team, accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol on his state visit to Vietnam and attending a roundtable with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on the 23rd. Prior to the Vietnam visit, he expanded his external activities by attending the General Assembly of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) in Paris, France, and the Davos Forum in Switzerland in January.

Chairman Koo’s image transformation appears to align with the overall business structure shift of the group. His recent focus is on future businesses that will lead 'LG’s innovation.' Following five years of business portfolio restructuring, he is laying the foundation for growth through investments in promising areas such as batteries and automotive components, artificial intelligence (AI), bio, and clean technology (the so-called 'ABC' businesses).