이 기사는 2022년 04월 07일 08시09분 thebell에 표출된 기사입니다

Harman has appointed Park Hark-kyu, chief financial officer of Samsung Electronics’ DX (device experience) division, to its board of directors to fill the seat left vacant after his predecessor, Choi Yoon-ho, moved to Samsung SDI as chief executive officer last year.

The decision is in line with a tradition of giving one board seat of Harman, which is wholly owned by Samsung Electronics, to the tech giant’s CFO.

Harman has been stepping up to enhance in-vehicle entertainment experience, while Samsung Electronics’ DX unit – which was created late last year after merging the company’s mobile and consumer electronics businesses – also focuses on customer experience. Park, who took up the new role in December, was appointed as a board director of Samsung Electronics at its annual general meeting in March as well.

Harman’s board comprises four directors. The other three members – Young Sohn, Harman CEO Michael Mauser and James Ahn, Samsung Electronics’ M&A head – will continue to serve on the board. Sohn, who chairs the Harman board, is former chief strategy officer of Samsung Electronics and has served as an advisor to the company since 2020.


The tech giant acquired Haman, a US audio electronics company, for $8 billion in November 2016. Harman has since made several bolt-on acquisitions to bolster its in-car display technology, including its recent takeover of Apostera, a German augmented reality software startup.

Harman generated 590 billion won ($484.4 million) in operating profit in 2021, surpassing the 500 billion won mark for the first time in five years.

Earlier this year, Samsung Electronics vice chairman Han Jong-hee hinted at the company’s new metaverse device. Park and Ahn, the two Samsung Electronics officials on the Harman board, are expected to play their role within the board to accelerate growth of the company through more acquisitions and collaboration with its parent company. (Reporting by Hye-ran Kim)