A scene from the International Hedge Fund Forum, entitled, “KDB 

Daewoo Securities 2013 K-Alpha Hedge Fund Conference” hosted 

by Daewoo Securities on Sept. 4 at Conrad 

Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul.(photo: Daewoo Securities)

    KDB Daewoo Securities hosted a hedge fund conference titled “KDB Daewoo Securities 2013 K-Alpha Hedge Fund Conference” at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on Sept. 4, the company said.

The international forum was designed to find the right direction for hedge fund management in the face of various uncertainties that hit the industry in recent months, the company said.

An analysis of the hedge fund market, the introduction of single hedge funds, and the current status of Korean-type hedge funds and their prospects were discussed at the gathering.

Daewoo Securities President Kim Ki-bum is known for his friendly nature and easy accessibility with the ability to communicate with others, especially with everyone working for the company, executives and staff alike.

His expertise on international securities dealings has been well known inside and outside of the company, thanks to his long overseas experience starting with the international business department of Daewoo Securities and his years overseas including Budapest Hungary, assigned to work at Daewoo Bank Hungary and Daewoo Securities in Budapest, and Daewoo Securities in London, to beef up his status as an international financial expert.

KDB Daewoo Securities’ strategy is largely divided into three parts; investments (PI) in advanced nations including the U.S. and Britain, private equity fund investments in real estate, and direct investments in non-performing liabilities (NPL) to become an integrated securities company in emerging markets including Indonesia. The company will also try to expand its business territory as investors to areas of natural resources exploration projects including energy in such countries as Brazil and Mongolia.

The company has been making a notable advance in its overseas operations by getting a license in June from the Indonesian financial authorities to execute online securities transactions in the country.

The company also set up a local subsidiary in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, and its first business will be introducing a Mongolian bank’s certificates of deposit in the Korean financial market. Its local subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Singapore have been setting business records in recent months.

The domestic securities market has been in the doldrums, but Kim thinks a crisis is also an opportunity. “When the market is sluggish, you learn patience and at the same time the spirit of challenge, which I think is an opportunity for the entire company to move up a notch in its operation with everyone coming together,” said Kim. He said he thinks he can make the company decent if he can get the help of everyone in the company because all of those with the company are top-class talents in the business.

He will continue to seek out overseas business opportunities, although it’s been two years since he came to the company. He said he is aware that any hasty moves that he might take to do something for the company an leave his footprints as the CEO might hurt the organization, while managing the company well is a must for any CEO to please the shareholders and investors and to win their support. Everything is to be included in a medium to short-term strategy to move the organization as one because seeking out short-term results for the sake of pleasing the shareholders and investors can do more harm to the company than good, Kim thinks.

The door of President Kim’s office at KDB Daewoo Securities is always open and the CEO who approves of hollering in a loud voice is not often seen in his chair at the office as he knows what is going on in the company very well and visits every unit of the company and checks the progress of the company’s business. He also tours around the country to visit the company’s outlets to meet with the employees eye-to-eye. For him, authority is a wall that limits communication of those working for the company.