Korean Air promotes 3rd-generation execs of owner family

By Kim Jae-won

Korean Air promoted senior vice presidents Cho Hyun-ah and Cho Won-tae to executive vice president Friday. They are third-generation offspring of the Hanjin Group’s owning family, the carrier’s parent company.

The move is part of a management reshuffle at the start of the year designed to give more power to the chairman’s children.

Cho Hyun-ah is the first daughter of Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, and Won-tae is his only son. Cho Hyun-min, the second daughter and the chairman’s youngest child was promoted to managing vice president of the airline.

“The third-generation executives of the owning family will have more say in the business thanks to the promotions,” said a manager of the carrier.

Cho Hyun-ah is in charge of the company’s in-flight meals, hotels and customer services while Won-tae leads its management strategy bureau.

However, it appears too early to say that the third-generation family members are being lined up for a succession process because they are still not C-level executives.

A total of 53 executives, including senior vice president Choi Jun-cheol and managing vice president Ham Myeong-rae, were also promoted by Korean Air along with the owner family members.

“We promoted executives who can create sustainable future growth engines through innovative management strategies and risk management skills amid rapidly changing business circumstances,” said the carrier.

Korean Air vows to provide the world’s best customer and in-flight meal services with the promotions. The new executives also reflect the company’s will to enforce its communications strategy, it added.

Female executives in service and marketing departments were included on the promotion list, seeking to improve professionalism in the customer service sector, according to the company.

Korean Air is the largest carrier in the country, having 147 aircraft as of July last year. It flies total of 119 routes to 40 countries. The airline posted 118.1 billion won in revenue for 2011.

It recently sought to acquire a key stake in the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) but withdrew its plan after objections from lawmakers and KAI unionists.