Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong.

(from left) Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam in device solutions (DS), President Kim Hyun-suk in consumer electronics (CE), President Koh Dong-jin in IT and mobile communication (IM).

(from left) Samsung Electronics President Lee Jae-sung of the household electronics business of CE division, Samsung Electronics President Lee Jung-bae, head of the memory business of the DS division, President Choi Si-young, chief of the foundry business of the DS division.

(from left) President Hwang Sung-woo of Samsung Display and President Oh Se-chul of Samsung C&T Corp. (Photos: Samsung Group)

Samsung Electronics replaced president-level managers in charge of the memory semiconductor and foundry businesses, while appointing new CEOs of Samsung SDS and Samsung Display.

The reshuffle may be construed as the company’s move to inject vigor and tautness to speed up future growth engines. Samsung Group conducted a reshuffle of executives of electronics-related subsidiaries on Dec. 2.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong opted for stability and generational change. Samsung Electronics retained the Big Three – Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam in device solutions (DS), President Kim Hyun-suk in consumer electronics (CE), and President Koh Dong-jin in IT and mobile communication (IM). All presidents in the CE and IM business divisions were also kept.

The latest personnel change may have reflected the fact that Samsung Electronics posted a business performance beyond expectations despite unprecedented business uncertainty situation, caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the DS business division underwent major change.

Senior Executive Vice President Lee Jung-bae in charge of DRAM development in the memory business was promoted to president of the memory business of the DS division, while Senior Executive Vice President Choi Si-young, head of Samsung Electronics’ Global Infrastructure Memory Production Technology Center, was promoted to present to lead the foundry business of the DS division.

New President Lee, 53, and new President Choi, 56, to president in the memory and foundry businesses will be charged with a mission to maintain the tech giant’s unmatched technology supremacy in the memory business, and achieve a goal of rising to the global No. 1 foundry maker.

Samsung Electronics’ appointing President Choi in charge of the memory business, the tech company’s cash cow segment, may be related to a crisis facing the business segment from rivals.

Samsung Electronics topped the world with a 41.3 percent share and a 33.1 percent share in the global DRAM and NAND flash memory segments, respectively, but the Korean tech company is threatened by rivals’ pursuit lately.

For instance, Samsung Electronics lost ground on NAND flash memory with more than 170 layers to Micron Technology of the United States.

The DRAM business segment is not easy for Samsung Electronics. The company, already entering a 14 nanometer mass production process, finds it is not easy to expand technology gaps with rivals, including SK Hynix.

President Choi of the foundry business is a top-tier expert in the process and manufacturing sectors. Choi obtained a doctorate degree in electronic materials from Ohio State University.

He held positions such as chief of the process development team at the Semiconductor Research Institute and head of the Foundry Production Technology Center.

The foundry business, headed by President Choi, is now in a crucial crux. Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong announced a plan to make Samsung Electronics a global No. 1 foundry maker by 2030 in April 2019.

The foundry business have made feats for winning orders from Qualcomm and Nvidia since then, but it find it not easy to catch up with TSMC, the global No. 1 foundry maker, which is leading Samsung with 53.9 percent vs. 17.4 percent in terms of market share.

 
Senior Executive Vice President Lee Jae-sung of the household electronics business of CE division was promote to president, head of the business.

President Hwang Sung-woo of the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology was tapped as president & CEO of Samsung SDS while Senior Executive Vice President Choi Joo-sun, head of Samsung Display’s large display business, was promoted to CEO of Samsung Display and president, head of the business.