CJ CheilJedang appoints new executive to boost global business

CJ CheilJedang Chief Growth Officer Pak Min-sok / Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang

By Kim Jae-heun

CJ CheilJedang has appointed Pak Min-sok, a former global chief strategist at Mondelez International, as its new chief growth officer (CGO) who will lead the future growth of the company's food business under CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun's “Future and Talent” medium-term vision, the company said Wednesday.

Pak is a leading global strategist and a planning expert, with balanced experience in defining strategies and actually executing them. He has worked for numerous global consumer goods companies and consulting firms, including Mondelez International, Target Corporation, LEGO Group and McKinsey & Company.

Pak's experience is well-aligned with CJ CheilJedang's goals of scaling up global strategic products (GSP), building overseas presence and finding promising new businesses. The food giant expects Pak to build momentum in executing the growth strategy for the company's global food business.

“It's been a dream of mine to help a leading Korean company become a truly global leader. CJ CheilJedang has the right platform and the competency to make K-food a global trend. I am excited to be part of the CJ family, and look forward to adding value to the company's journey in achieving its vision,” said Pak, who is a U.S. citizen.

Earlier this year, CJ CheilJedang underwent organizational reform to expand the global market for Korean food. It established its Growth Transformation Division ― headed by Pak ― under the Global HQ of Food Business Unit, to act as a control tower and lead qualitative and quantitative growth across value chains while seeking future growth strategies. Global food firms like Kellogg's and Kimberly-Clark both adopt similar governance systems.

The growth transformation division has brought together the six teams currently responsible for scaling up CJ CheilJedang's six GSP: dumplings, processed rice, chicken, seaweed, kimchi and K-sauce. Under the division, its Strategic Planning Departments 1 and 2 will drive business growth in regions such as the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. They will also develop new future growth engines related to plant-based businesses while investing in startup companies.

“The role of a control tower that defines and executes future growth strategies is crucial for CJ CheilJedang to achieve its vision of becoming a leading global food company,” a CJ CheilJedang official said. “Our CEO Choi Eun-seok flew all the way to the United States to recruit Pak. It is widely known in the global food industry that it's not easy to hire someone from Mondelez.”