SK On hires ex-Hanon Systems CEO as new commercial chief

SK On said Tuesday it has appointed the former chief executive of a major Korean auto components maker as its new chief commercial officer (CCO), as part of efforts to bolster growth strategies and responses to customers.

Sung Min-suk, former CEO of Hanon Systems, assumed the newly created post in charge of marketing, sales and project management, and existing teams have been reassigned to work under his wing, the battery maker said.

Sung has a long stint working in the automotive industry for nearly 30 years, starting his early career as a product development engineer at U.S. company Ford Motor in the mid to late 1990s.

Sung joined Hanon Systems, which makes automotive thermal and energy management solutions, in 2017 as a vice president for product and components, before being promoted to chief operating officer the following year and its co-CEO in 2021.

His experience at Ford and previous position at the major auto parts supplier makes him the most suitable candidate for the CCO position, SK On said.

SK On, the world's fifth-largest battery maker, is aggressively expanding its global presence, operating eight factories in the United States, Hungary and China, with six more plants under or set for construction.

SK On's production capacity is expected to reach 89 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by the end of this year, and the company is targeting 500 GWh by 2030. (Yonhap)