이 기사는 2021년 10월 07일 07시58분 thebell에 표출된 기사입니다

Hanwha Solutions’ strategic division, led by the company’s president Kim Dong-kwan, has been enhanced as a number of executive promotions have been announced across the company, increasing the number of executives in the division by four to 16.

The South Korean company announced on Tuesday 39 senior promotions, including three new vice presidents, effective October 6.

The business of Hanwha Solutions, one of the key affiliates of the country’s conglomerate Hanwha Group, spans across chemicals, renewable energy, advanced materials, retail and urban development. The company’s president Kim Dong-kwan is the eldest son of the conglomerate’s chairman Kim Seung-youn.


The announcement comes about a month after the annual leadership reshuffle at the group level in late August, which was earlier than normal. It is likely that the promotions have largely been decided by Kim Dong-kwan as the strategic division, led by him, is also in charge of personnel affairs, industry watchers said.

The staff promotions have been focused on boosting morale of employees, rather than refreshment, with 26 of the staff advanced to managing director, the lowest executive rank of the company.

Also notable is that seniority norms were abolished. Cho Yong-woo, who is working at the company’s strategic division, has been promoted to managing director only seven months after his prior promotion.

This precedent will likely give a positive impression to millennial and Generation Z workers, industry watchers said. Kim, born in 1983, is a millennial himself and considered one of the next top leaders of the country’s family-run conglomerates.

Four of the strategic division’s staff have been advanced in the latest round of promotions, with one promoted to senior managing director and three to managing director.

Additionally, Hanwha Solutions hired Park Jin-hee from CJ Group as managing director at the company’s strategic division. Park is the only woman among the division's executives.

The number of the strategic division’s executives as a result has increased to 16, with three new managing directors coming from internal promotions and one from external recruitment.

“An increase in the number of executives in the strategic division can be viewed in line with the company’s drive to expand across various business areas,” a Hanwha Solutions official said. (Reporting by Sang-hee Park)