Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Hana relaunches women's leadership program after 2021 success
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, standing in the center, poses with participants of the second Hana Waves in-house program to foster women's leadership at the group's headquarters in central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
Hana Financial Group has begun its second Hana Waves in-house program aimed at fostering women's leadership following the success of the first program in June 2021, the banking group said Thursday.
The 2022 program, which runs until the end of the year, will include group mentoring, development of work skills at higher positions, online MBA classes and presentations on business strategies.
A total of 36 mid-level managers from the banking group's entire affiliates were selected for the program after being recommended by their respective CEOs.
The 2021 program had 34 participants, with four of them being promoted as executives after completing the courses.
“Women's competitiveness in the workplace can be characterized as a motherly heart that is strong but at the same time soft and caring,” Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said during a ceremony to mark the program's launch at the group's headquarters in central Seoul.
He said such competitiveness is especially crucial in the midst of a rapidly-changing environment in the finance industry and that the “participants this year are expected to play a critical role, embracing different generations of employees.”
The banking group joined this year's Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which assesses listed companies' efforts for gender equality and covers anti-sexual harassment measures, female-friendly branding, female leadership promotion, wage gap reduction and female-friendly corporate culture among others.
Hana Group said it will continue to come up with various programs to foster leadership for its employees regardless of gender and age.