By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
Lee Chong-hwi, the lender's CEO, emphasizes two principles ― "getting back to basics" and "the customer has the answer."
Lee took the top executive position in June 2008 just before the global financial crisis hit the nation.
At the time, local banks were competing to increase their asset size, but he turned this expansion mode into stable growth.
Due to Lee's conservative policy, the loan-to-deposit ratio has gradually dropped since the fourth quarter of 2008. It marked 111.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, 15.9 percent less than a year ago.
Lee has experience both in headquarters and branches over his 40-year career in the industry. Over time he has realized that customers hold the answers to most problems.
So, he regularly visits traditional markets to listen to customers' opinions as well as to experience where the real economy is at.
Earlier this month, CEO Lee visited a beneficiary of Woori Smile Microcredit Bank to see whether there was any way to improve its program.
The CEO headed to Youngdong traditional market in Nonhyun- dong, southern Seoul, where a Woori Smile Microcredit Bank beneficiary is running a small store selling traditional side dishes. The CEO put on an apron and helped the owner make Korean traditional pancakes, while listening carefully to her story.