CJ Chairman Lee Jay-hyun made an official appearance to a group event for the first time in four years. He said his group will contribute to the development of the national economy by securing future growth engines, citing it as the group’s urgent task.
Chairman Lee participated in a ceremony to open the CJ Blossom Park, which coincided with the ONLYONE Conference at Gwangjyo, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, on May 17. Among about 300 people on hand at the event were CJ Chairman Lee, CJ Corp. Vice Chairman Lee Chae-wook, CJ Jeiljedang Vice Chairman Kim Chul-ha, and CEOs of the group’s subsidiaries.
Making his first public appearance since May 2013 when he attended the ONLYONE Conference, Chairman Lee expressed regrets over his failure to tend to management and extended appreciation to executives and staff members.
“At a critical juncture when I should have spearheaded group management for a remarked leap forward since the group’s declaring of its 2nd take-off in 2011, I had vacated my position, which led a failure to secure future growth engines and sagging global fortunes, and I feel it painful and responsible,” he said.
Lee went on to say that he will devote himself to tending to his managerial responsibilities. “I’ll endeavor to secure future growth engines, the group’s urgent task, and put unfinished business on the right track, and to this end, I will not spare efforts and support,” he said.
Chairman Lee, who has concentrated on the recovery of his health after he was offered a special pardon last year, is apparently in a better shape. Even though he was in a wheelchair and had to be helped up, he took the podium to deliver his speech.
Under the stewardship of Chairman Lee, CJ Group had been scrambling to transition from a food company to one focused on culture. The group fell into a crisis due to a long-standing management vacuum caused by his absence. Chairman Lee explicitly expressed his willingness to devote himself to doing business to contribute to the development of the national economy.
“When the conventional businesses are fading, and signs of new growth engines are in sight, CJ’s content, life & culture services, logistics, food and bio business will serve as a new vigor of the national economy,” he said. CJ Group’s ascent into a “top company” will be in the context of the late founder-chairman’s philosophy of contributing to the development of the nation through the prospering of businesses, he said.
Chairman Lee stressed the realization of the catchphrases “Going beyond Great CJ in 2020” and “Word Best CJ in 2030.” Lee said the group aims to post 100 trillion won in sales in 2020 under the vision of “Going beyond Great CJ in 2020” and make more than three businesses attain a global No. 1 position in 2030 with the ultimate goal of becoming a “World Best CJ.”
Starting with an investment of 5 trillion won this year, the group plans to pour a combined 36 trillion won in such areas as logistics, bio, and culture content by 2020.
“CJ’s achieving the vision ‘World Best CJ’ is our mission. CJ will have to accomplish this goal, which will contribute to the national economy and the development of the nation through the prospering of businesses,” he said. Lee called for CJ to strive to be beloved by people and reliable the world over.
Chairman Lee had presided over the ONLYONE Conference to present awards to executives and staff members who contributed to making remarkable achievements for one year since 2015, but the 2012 conference was the last one. This year, the group resumed the conference, which also coincided with the opening of the CJ Blossom Park.
The CJ Blossom Park, which opened on May 17, is the nation’s first and largest food, bio convergence R&D center combining all R&D capabilities of the group’s business units ranging from food/materials to bio and biological resources. It covers 110,000 sq. meters in floor space, equivalent to the size of 15 soccer stadiums, and accommodates about 600 researchers. The project cost about 480 billion won.
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