CJ Cheiljedang CEO promoted to vice chairman
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CJ Cheiljedang Vice Chairman Kim Chul-ha
By Lee Hyo-sik
The head of CJ Cheiljedang has been promoted to vice chairman for his role in spearheading Korea’s largest food company during the absence of Chairman Lee Jay-hyun over the past few years.
In the latest personnel reshuffle, CJ Cheiljedang CEO Kim Chul-ha, who has been serving as a member of the group’s four-member emergency management committee, became vice chairman, CJ said Monday.
Kim, who earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Seoul National University, joined CJ Cheiljedang in 2007 as the head of the firm’s bio research institute. Until May 2011 when Kim took the company’s top office, he had led its research and development activities, building the foundations for a range of innovative bio products.
The CEO has been restructuring Cheiljedang’s product portfolio, sorting out conventional, unprofitable items to focus more on introducing new ones to cater to rapidly changing consumer tastes.
In 2015, the company earned 8.15 trillion won in sales, up 41 percent from 5.78 trillion won in 2010, with its operating profit jumping 29.2 percent to 586.5 billion won from 453.9 billion won during the same period. In the second quarter of this year, its sales rose 12.2 percent to 2.2 trillion won from a year earlier, despite the prolonged domestic consumption slump.
“Despite the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, the sinking of the ferry Sewol and other unfavorable factors, CJ Cheiljedang under Kim’s leadership has been growing at a sustainable pace over the past few years,” a spokeswoman said. “The latest promotion reflects that Kim has successfully fulfilled his duties during the absence of Chairman Lee. He will continue to play an even more important role in the future to transform CJ Cheiljedang into a top global food company.”