What is Samsung’s brave new world like?

Promotion intended to give heir Jae-yong more limelight but see him spared from heat

By Kim Yoo-chul

There can be little debate that Samsung Electronics is currently untouchable in the component businesses of memory chips and flat-screens.

For decades Samsung has boosted its corporate awareness by selling parts used in most digital devices to consumer electronics majors including Apple, Dell and Hewlett- Packard (HP).

But its heavy dependence on the cyclical and volatile businesses is commonly referred as a “critical factor,” or the “Samsung Discount.”

Fighting this is a self-imposed mission by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who is promoting his children in order to bring youth to the operation, while diversifying its business portfolios.

A pattern has emerged from his remarks since his return to the management of the group as the flagship’s chairman since March. Lee’s first declaration was “Samsung is in real crisis.” An executive said that this declaration affected its key products.

“I can say the Galaxy S smartphone has a quite symbolic meaning, telling Samsung’s gradual shift to value-added finished products,” a senior Samsung executive said.

“It was the first step under Lee’s blue print for the next 10 years. As seen in today’s reshuffle, more changes are forthcoming.”

Under a direct direction from Lee, Samsung recently decided to revive its control tower _ the Strategic Planning Office (SPO) _ which had been dismantled years ago, in an attempt to guarantee much faster decisions on any key pending issues.

More recently, Lee talked about the necessity of new blood.

“A new 10 years has just started and I think that will be different from the last 10 years. Samsung needs to be younger to prepare for the new era and better face new trends,” he said.

Now his only son Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics’ chief operating officer (COO), has been promoted together with his sister to president. The junior Lee will keep his current post, a step carefully taken to give him extra limelight but not the responsibility that accompanies such a promotion.

His guardian Choi Geesung, the firm’s CEO and president, was also promoted to vice chairman.

With these changes, the chairman is shifting his eyes to finding the next earning sources, that Samsung officials say are OLED and solar-related businesses.

“Group founder Lee Byungchull has given his son, Chairman Lee, the semiconductor business as a growth engine. He has successfully grown it to be its main business. Now, he wants to find another and pass it to his successor, which I can say are OLED and solar businesses,” said another Samsung executive, asking not to be identified.

Another piece in the Samsung jigsaw in transition is the revival of its group-wide control tower.

Kim Soon-taek, who significantly helped Samsung get the current lead over its Japanese rivals in OLED and battery businesses, was handpicked by Lee as another guardian for his son. Kim was responsible for finding and fostering new growth businesses.

OLED is the next-generation flat-screen currently used in highend mobile phones and smallsized digital devices. The market for OLED is still young but has a strong growth potential thanks to the rising applications from housing to consumer gadgets.

Samsung’s OLED joint venture ? Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) ? said it will build an additional production line in South Korea to increase the market and meet the increasing demand for screen-embedded electronic devices.

삼성, `용감한 신세계’ 그리기에 나섰다

삼성전자가 적어도 반도체와 액정표시장치(LCD) 부분에서는 절대 강자라는 사실에 의의를 제기할 사람은 없을 것이다.

지난 수십년간 삼성전자는 휴렛패커드와 애플, 델과 같은 세계적인 정보통신기술 (IT)업체에 이런 부품들을 공급하면서 기업 규모를 키워왔다.

그러나 반도체와 LCD에 편중된 사업구조는 ``삼성 디스카운트’’의 주 요인으로 꼽혀왔고 이는 삼성의 지속적인 기업 이미지 재고에 부정적인 영향을 끼쳤다.

이 같은 상황인식속에 삼성전자 이건희 회장은 젊고 유능한 인재들을 대거 발탁, 승진시킴으로써 조직상의 큰 변화를 예고하고 있다.

지난해 삼성전자 회장으로 경영일선에 복귀한 이 회장은 ``삼성이 위기에 처해있다’’며 대폭적인 변화를 예고했고 결국 삼성은 12월3일 연말 정기인사에서 이부진 전무를 사장으로 승진시켰고 이재용 삼성전자 COO역시 사장으로 승진했다.

이부진 호텔신라 전무의 사장 승진은 파격으로 받아들여지고 있다. 인사에 관한 보수적인 삼성에서 부사장을 뛰어넘는 사장승진은 전례없는 일이기 때문.

``파격 승진인사와 함께 삼성의 갤럭시 S 스마트폰이 의미하는 것은 단순한 제품 개발이 아니라 삼성전자가 보다 높은 이윤을 가져다 줄 수 있는 좀 더 괜찮은 제품을 만드는 회사로 점차 변화하고 있다는 뜻’’이라고 삼성의 한 임원은 말했다.

삼성은 이와 함께 과거 해체됐던 전략기획실을 복귀시켰고, 차세대 액정표시장치 (OLED)의 성공신화를 쓴 김순택 전 삼성SDI 사장을 수장으로 앉혔다.

``앞으로의 10년이 중요하다’’고 역설하는 이건희 회장은 삼성전자의 신수종 사업에 눈을 돌리고 있고 삼성 관계자들에 따르면 삼성의 차세대 먹거리는 OLED와 태양광 관련 사업이 될 가능성이 높다.

``이병철 선대회장이 이건희 현 회장에게 반도체 라는 사과나무를 심어주었다면, 이건희 회장은 OLED와 태양광 관련 사업이라는 또다른 사과나무를 심으려 하고 있다’’고 또 다른 삼성의 한 임원은 말했다.

OLED는 현재 가격 및 기술적 장벽으로 인해 그 영역이 핸드폰등 일부 소형 디지털 기기에 제한되어 있다.

삼성전자의 OLED 합작사인 삼성모바일디스플레이는 늘어나는 OLED수요에 적극 대응키 위해 내년 추가 라인을 건설하는 방안을 검토하고 있다.