New Hana Bank President Park Sung-ho waves the Hana Bank flag during his inauguration ceremony in Hana Bank Headquarters Building in Seoul on March 25. (Photo: Hana Bank)

Hana Financial Group announced on March 25 that Park Sung-ho took office as the next president of Hana Bank after a shareholders’ meeting.

In doing so, Park became the third president of Hana Bank since Hana Bank absorbed Korea Exchange Bank.

Park presented three strategic directions while pledging to bring innovation to the bank’s human resources management, organization and working systems to make the company a better bank.

Park also stressed he will set an example in implementing his reforming leadership that voluntarily draws participation in a communication process in which employees participate horizontally through empathy and yields results through it.

The new president led successful IT integration at Hana Bank by serving as the CEO of Hana IT, Hana Financial Group's IT affiliate, for about three years from December 2015.

In addition, Park was appointed as the bank president of Hana Bank Indonesia in June 2019 and achieved successful business results in Indonesia. Park has effectively served as CEO in both the global and digital sectors.

Park became a branch manager at the age of 36, gaining experience in sales and management by steadily making efforts with strong enterprising spirit.

Park also has enriched his know-how as a traditional banker. At the same, Park has become a strategic expert by serving as head of the Business Management Headquarters at Hana Bank and chief strategy officer.

Park developed his global business perspective while working in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as secured digital innovation capabilities while heading up Hana TI and the Digital Retail Group at Hana Bank.

Amid a recent rapid transition to a digital economy and tech giants’ entry into the financial industry, Park’s capabilities as an expert will enable Hana Bank to take off as an innovative bank.

Park emphasized that Hana Bank needs to turn changes and crises into new opportunities and ought to find the answer in its human resources in order to break through major changes in the financial industry and achieve sustainable growth.

“People are value that never changes despite rapid changes in financial business environments,” Park said in his inaugural address.

“Both the starting point and direction point of change and innovation should be people. People mean customers, employees, and society. My goal as head of Hana Bank is to create a bank where customers are satisfied, a bank where employees are happy and a bank that contributes to the sustainable growth of society.”

“As when a flock of gnus in Serengeti grasslands in Africa has to cross a river where crocodiles may lurk, a leader at the vanguard jumps in the river, I will lead Hana Bank by setting an example for other employees,” Park added.

On the other hand, the inauguration ceremony included an online “Hana Digital Performance,” where Park vowed to make a fresh new start with employees for the purpose of emphasizing Hana Bank as a digital bank in customers’ everyday life.

On finishing his inauguration ceremony, Park visited a Hana Bank branch as his first move as new head of the bank and had time to encourage and communicate with employees at the branch.