CJ Group has carried out a massive reshuffle affecting 96 officials, including 72 executives who have been promoted.

The group promoted CJ Corp. Vice President and Chief Representative Lee Gwan-hoon and CJ CheilJedang Vice President and Chief Representative Kim Chul-ha, both to the position of president.

Those who were promoted from assistant vice president to vice president in the regular personal change are Suh Jung, chief representative of CJ CGV; Hur Min-hoe, chief representative of CJ Foodville; Sohn Kwan-soo, chief representative of CJ GLS; and Kang Shin-ho, head of CJ CheilJedang Business I Team. Those who were promoted from managing director to assistant vice president was Hur Min-ho, chief representative of CJ Olive Young. The remaining 24 were transferred or hired from the outside. 

Chung Gil-geun, managing director in charge of public relations at CJ Group, said, “The reshuffle was made in accordance with a faithful merit system.” He added that the group has explored those who have made a strong showing in global businesses in order to accelerate the momentum for growth in global markets, and officials who have demonstrated their prowess in Korea have been transferred overseas. 

CJ Corp. Chief Representative Lee, who has been at the helm of the holding company of the group since 2011, has been credited with his role in his company’s registering double-digit sales growth last year despite business uncertainties caused by the fiscal crisis in Europe. He was promoted in recognition of his contribution to his company’s lysine’s remarkable achievements in the Chinese market. Lysine, an amino acid for animal feeds, is one of the company’s products with a competitive edge.  

Among the promotions were 17 executives in charge of global affairs. Given 13 promotions in CJ Korea Express and six other promotions in CJ CheilJedang, closely connected with global businesses, more than half of the total promotions were executives in charge of global businesses or others closely connected with global affairs. 

Thirty-seven executives in charge of future growth engine businesses have been promoted, compared to 25 promotions in the sectors in 2012. The promoted executives include two women, a new trend in the Korean business community. Kim So-young, a team head at the CJ CheilJedang Bio Research Institute, and Kang Myung-shin, head of the CJ HelloVision Community Business Division, have both been promoted to managing director.

Meanwhile, Lee Hae-seon, chief representative of CJ O Shopping; Byun dong-shik and vice president, chief representative of CJ HelloVision and vice president; Park Seung-hwan, chief representative of CJ Freshway and vice president; and other subsidiaries’ chief representatives were excluded from promotions, but retained. The retention of the existing chief representative may be interpreted as the reflection of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun’s tactics °™ in-depth trust in business leaders for the group’s growth.