By Nam Hyun-woo
Pusan National University (PNU) is emerging as an elite base for domestic conglomerates, with a number of the university's alumni taking over key posts at leading corporations recently.
The most highlighted PNU alumni is Choi Jeong-woo, who was nominated as chairman for steel giant POSCO.
Choi, who graduated from the university's economics department, has built his reputation as a specialist in finance, after serving as chief financial officer for the group's non-steel affiliates.
His nomination came as a surprise to industry officials as POSCO's chairmanship has long been held by those who graduated from Seoul National University's (SNU) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, having had a background as engineers and served as heads of a POSCO steel mill
Choi's surge was interpreted as POSCO's bid to lower its reliance on steel and diversify its business portfolio, as Choi has experience in various POSCO businesses. Also, his "neutral" background was a plus, given POSCO has long been criticized for limiting its chairman pool to graduates of the SNU department.
Along with Choi, LG Corp. President Ha Hyun-hwoi is another PNU graduate making headlines recently. LG Corp. is the holding company of LG Group.
Ha, who earned his degree at the PNU College of History, was promoted to his current post at the end of last year and garnered keen attention for presiding over a group-wide meeting in which LG affiliates reported their business outcomes and strategies earlier this month.
Observers say Ha's role in LG is expected to expand in the future, citing he had LG heir-apparent Koo Kwang-mo on his team in 201.
Lotte Corp., the holding company of Lotte Group, also has a PNU graduate in a key post. Lotte Corp. President Lee Bong-chul, who graduated from the PNU Department of Business Administration, was promoted to the post in January for his help in restructuring the group into a holding company system.
Through restructuring, Lotte Group broke its circular shareholding structure, and was chosen as model case by the Fair Trade Commission.
CJ CheilJedang CEO Shin Hyun-jae also earned a degree in business administration at PNU. Shin was named chief of the food giant in November last year and reportedly is "one of the most trusted figures" of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun.
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| Choi Jeong-woo, POSCO chairman nominee |
The most highlighted PNU alumni is Choi Jeong-woo, who was nominated as chairman for steel giant POSCO.
Choi, who graduated from the university's economics department, has built his reputation as a specialist in finance, after serving as chief financial officer for the group's non-steel affiliates.
His nomination came as a surprise to industry officials as POSCO's chairmanship has long been held by those who graduated from Seoul National University's (SNU) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, having had a background as engineers and served as heads of a POSCO steel mill
Choi's surge was interpreted as POSCO's bid to lower its reliance on steel and diversify its business portfolio, as Choi has experience in various POSCO businesses. Also, his "neutral" background was a plus, given POSCO has long been criticized for limiting its chairman pool to graduates of the SNU department.
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| Ha Hyun-hoi, LG Corp. president |
Ha, who earned his degree at the PNU College of History, was promoted to his current post at the end of last year and garnered keen attention for presiding over a group-wide meeting in which LG affiliates reported their business outcomes and strategies earlier this month.
Observers say Ha's role in LG is expected to expand in the future, citing he had LG heir-apparent Koo Kwang-mo on his team in 201.
Lotte Corp., the holding company of Lotte Group, also has a PNU graduate in a key post. Lotte Corp. President Lee Bong-chul, who graduated from the PNU Department of Business Administration, was promoted to the post in January for his help in restructuring the group into a holding company system.
Through restructuring, Lotte Group broke its circular shareholding structure, and was chosen as model case by the Fair Trade Commission.
CJ CheilJedang CEO Shin Hyun-jae also earned a degree in business administration at PNU. Shin was named chief of the food giant in November last year and reportedly is "one of the most trusted figures" of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun.
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