Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon

(clockwise) Senior Executive Vice President Choi Yang-soo, Senior Executive Vice President Lee Tae-jong, Senior Executive Vice President Kim Yeib-cheol, Vice President Kim Nam-ok, Executive Vice President Kim Dong-kwan, and Senior Executive Vice President Kwon Hyuk-ung.(Photos:Hanwha Group)

Hwahwa Business Group carried out the 2016 regular reshuffle of executives, promoting the head of each division by one notch and strengthening lower executives of the photovoltaic power and duty-free business units.

The latest reshuffle has been designed to solidify lower executives, group officials said.  

The status of the head of each division, including Choi Yang-soo, head of Hanwha Corp.’s defense business division, and Kim Yeon-cheol, head of Hanwha Corp.’s machinery division, was promoted from executive vice president to senior executive vice president. Kwon Hyuk-ung, chief of the personnel affairs team of Hanwha Group Management and Planning Office, was also promoted to senior executive vice president.

In particular, the business group promoted lower executives of the group’s two primary units - the photovoltaic power and duty-free business divisions. Vice President Lee Ku-young, head of Hanwha Q Cell’s Module Business Department, and Vice President Shin Ji-ho of the company’s Downstream Business Department were promoted to executive vice president in recognition of their contributions to the exploring of new markets. Hanwha Q Cells turned profitable and posted a record net profit for the third quarter of the year. 

Assistant Vice President Hong Won-suk, head of Hanwha Gallery’s Strategic Planning Office, was promoted to vice president while Kim Young-hoon, head of the Strategic Planning Team, was promoted to assistant vice president. The two were promoted in recognition of their leading roles in landing a license to operate a duty-free business. 

Kim Nam-ok of Hanwha Non-life Insurance, who made history by becoming the first female executive of the group, was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president of the business group. Kim’s promotion is the first in consideration of specialization regardless gender and education background, group officials said.

Vice President Kang Hee-man of Hanwha Total’s Energy Business Department, an ex-Samsung man, who moved to Hanwha following a big deal between Hanwha and Samsung business groups, was promoted to executive vice president. Kwak Jong-woo, head of Hanwha Techwin’s Business Operation Team, was added to the list of executives. 

No presidents of the divisions were promoted since they were replaced or transferred in previous reshuffles between May and June, which were done for top executives of each division and reorganized business portfolios.