Ex-SK hynix CEO advises workers to be an expert

Kwon Oh-chul, member of the board of directors at Spansion

'Keep it simple, but to maintain consistency

By Kim Yoo-chul

Former SK hynix CEO Kwon Oh-chul advised jobseekers and salaried workers to maintain a greater consistency and to approach any tough issues as simply as possible.

“I’ve had no regrets about my career in SK hynix, formerly known as Hyundai Semiconductor. The best answer I can give you to face today’s challenging situations is to be an expert,” Kwon told The Korea Times.

“I agree that this is time-consuming, risky and difficult. But once you improve your own skills, then your value will go up,” he added.

Kwon, known as the right-hand man of the Hyundai Group’s founding family, is now serving on a board of directors at Spansion ― a global leader in embedded systems solutions ― after serving as an advisor to the board since January this year.

He helped SK hynix, the world’s No. 2 memory chipmaker and a major cash cow at SK Group, change a corporate structure to generate profits, after huge losses that the firm did during painful industry consolidation. Kwon has over 30-year experience in the semiconductor industry.

Kwon said he was impressed about his appointment as he is the first Korean to serve on the board of directors at Spansion, a joint venture between Advance Micro Devices (AMD) of the United States and Fujitsu of Japan.

“Efforts never lie. You will be paid off. But please don’t hesitate. Keep it simple and take your own stake,” he said. Spansion said it will use Kwon’s proven experience to further expand its business.

One reason for Kwon to join the board is because he has served in many leadership positions in areas such as business management, development, marketing and strategic planning, said Spansion.

“I understand that it’s quite hard for low-ranking employees to open up discussions with seniors. But my advice is that please don’t think too much as conversation is a good tool to help the interested parties see an improvement in ties. But you need to show your respect,” Kwon said.

He continued; “When things are getting complicated, in Korean culture, for example, you want to talk but you may think about the outcome of your courageous decision. At this times, those sincere talking may yield results.”

The chip expert said he will role as a bridge between Korean chipmakers and Spansion to share know-how and to develop creative ideas with full of energy.