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Sun-young Lee, the CEO leading Aesthein Sun-young Lee, the CEO leading Aesthein—a premium beauty brand built for professionals—grew up in an environment so harsh that she spent her youth living in a shipping container. Before stepping into the business world, she chose the path of a social worker, spending eight years standing by the side of youth in crisis. What she learned most bitterly on the front lines of social work was that fleeting sympathy changes nothing. Even now, as an entrepreneur, the sense of moral obligation from those years remains the foundational root supporting her management philosophy. To be perfectly honest, as I prepared for this interview, a nagging, uncomfortable question kept rising in my mind. If someone who had survived that level of deprivation finally took hold of capital, it would surprise no one if they became obsessed with wealth. It seemed only natural that they would aggressively scale their business and maximize profits. Yet, her actual footsteps told a completely different story. Taking care of her colleagues and agonizing over how to deploy capital more effectively for the marginalized—this was a far cry from standard business logic, at least as I knew it. Paradoxically, it was this very "contradiction" that held my attention until the end. I reasoned that if someone who had walked through such profound scarcity was building a business on something far more unyielding than money, there would undoubtedly be a story worth listening to. For the countless leaders who find themselves wavering every single day in front of their income statements, I hope the story of this stubbornly principled entrepreneur serves as a grounded yet profoundly heavy wake-up call. Q. You spent eight years working as a social worker for youth before stepping into the aesthetics industry. Was there a specific turning point that led to this transition? For eight years, I was a social worker, protecting youth in crisis from the closest vantage point. Counseling children who had run away from home or were exposed to dangerous environments always broke my heart. But at the same time, I faced the cold reality that the role and responsibilities of a social worker alone had clear limitations when it came to actively supporting them. Temporary sponsorships or emotional comfort could never fundamentally change their lives. What these children truly needed was not to remain passive beneficiaries of welfare, but rather to receive "practical help" and be placed within a "sustainable structure" that would allow them to stand on their own two feet against the prejudices of the world. This unresolved thirst—“Is there a system where children can learn a specialized skill within a safe harbor and achieve true independence?”—is what drew me into the business world. I realized that to build a viable foundation for self-reliance, I had to understand the mechanisms of business management. So, I joined a startup consulting firm and learned the realities of the market from the ground up. It was during this time, while handling the incubation of an aesthetics brand by chance, that I gained a powerful conviction. I realized that aesthetics was the "ultimate skill for independence" I had been searching for. It is a field where, regardless of academic background or pedigree, mastering a refined manual technique allows anyone to stand proudly as a self-sufficient professional. Therefore, entering the aesthetics business is not a detour or a departure from my path. It is the process of manifesting the mission from my days as a social worker, using business as the most powerful and sustainable vehicle possible. The "deep-seated responsibility toward people" that was etched into my very core during my social work days remains the strongest root sustaining my business today. Volunteering to improve the residential environment (cleaning) for low-income elderly individuals living alone during her social work years. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Acquiring your first shop must have been quite a gamble at the time. What drove you to move forward so fearlessly? To be honest, my ability to move so fearlessly back then didn't stem from flamboyant confidence. It came from the reality of having my back against the wall. At the time, I was navigating a major turning point in my life—a divorce—and facing the daunting reality that I had to rebuild an independent life entirely on my own, without anyone's help. During that period, when I was desperate to build a foundation for sheer survival, I happened to receive an offer to take over a shop in a prime commercial location. To me, it felt like my only breakthrough. I had no capital for the acquisition, but I remembered an acquaintance of my father who had always looked kindly upon my passion. I gathered my courage and went to see him. I didn't just ask for a handout; instead, I persuaded him with hard numbers, presenting the shop’s historical revenue, my projected profit structure under my management, and a concrete repayment plan with an interest rate higher than what the banks offered. Looking back, it was incredibly reckless. Yet at that moment, my desire for independence far outweighed my fear of rejection. I suspect he saw that fierce determination in my eyes. That choice meant far more to me than simply starting a business. It was a desperate yet defiant declaration that I would take the steering wheel of my own life, rather than leaving it in the hands of others. The courage to transform a crisis into an opportunity during my most vulnerable and bleakest moment ultimately became the very first stepping stone toward building the brand Aesthein today. Conducting a demonstration for aesthetic salon directors. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Even though you operate in the aesthetics industry—a field that naturally prioritizes outward transformation—you consistently emphasize "inner value" and "self-love." As a beauty expert, where do you set your standard for true beauty? Behind the confident facade I show today lies a deep childhood scar left by a time when I loathed poverty more than death itself. When my family collapsed during the Asian Financial Crisis (IMF), our financial situation plummeted overnight, leaving my parents and their five daughters in absolute squalor. It was routine for mice to drop from the ceiling while we slept at night. On days with torrential downpours, the sewers would burst, washing all kinds of filth into our living space. I can still vividly recall the miserable, reeking sight of waste backwashing from our outhouse toilet, filling up our room. Back then, I felt my circumstances were utterly pathetic, and I became fiercely obsessed with my outward packaging throughout my twenties, desperate to hide that reality from the world. I forced myself to look sophisticated just to avoid looking poor. Yet, no matter how hard I worked to gain validation from others, an unbearable emptiness would wash over me the moment I returned home. I had wrapped my exterior in a beautiful package, but behind that curtain, I didn't even love the person I truly was. It was only after enduring that profound, hollow despair every single night—washing off my makeup and facing myself in the mirror—that I finally woke up. I realized that what truly matters is not how others perceive you, but how you treat yourself. The novelist Boris Pasternak once wrote, "The scar is the place where the light enters you." For me, the agonizing deprivation and wounds of my youth are not a source of shame to be ignored. Instead, they became a radiant gateway that allowed me to look deeper into the pain of others and form a beauty philosophy centered on treating people with utmost dignity. This is why I hope our salon directors and clients don't get completely swallowed up by the mere "results of looking pretty." Instead of hiding behind a forced, manufactured appearance, I want them to prioritize inner healing—facing and embracing the person in the mirror exactly as they are. Ultimately, beauty should not be an artificial adornment meant for display. It must be a "healing process," an act of genuinely honoring your own mind and body, which have fought so hard to endure this harsh world. I know firsthand how incredibly resilient life becomes through that small shift of holding yourself dear and nurturing your own well-being. Guiding people through that journey is the most authentic value I wish to deliver through Aesthein. Making a donation to underprivileged children in Mongolia. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Your relationships with your partners and employees are solid, with many staying by your side for over a decade. What is your secret to communication, especially in letting down your managerial authority to maintain such long-lasting, tight-knit bonds? From the very beginning, I openly tell my team, "Don't put me on a pedestal, and don't expect me to be perfect just because I'm the CEO." After all, I am just another human being with my own flaws and shortcomings. Because of this, I define our organizational structure not as a vertical hierarchy, but as a "functional community" where everyone fulfills their own unique role. My role is to chart the brand's direction and support the growth of our partners, while our employees bring their specialized expertise to their respective positions. There is merely a difference in our roles; as human beings, my golden rule is that everyone is equally invaluable. Typically, when an employment relationship is established, it is easy to become obsessed with short-term productivity—pushing people relentlessly for immediate outputs relative to the resources invested. Instead of binding people with excessive expectations, however, I want them to work proactively and fulfill their responsibilities within a secure, stable environment. Sure, there are times when I fall short, but because my team knows I'm not perfect, they are understanding, thinking, “Well, our director can be a bit clumsy with these things.” Likewise, rather than reprimanding them for mistakes, I make an effort to look at the underlying context and their true intentions first. Once a culture of acknowledging mutual vulnerability took root, an atmosphere of mutual respect naturally formed without me ever having to force my authority. The German philosopher Immanuel Kant famously said to treat people "never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end." Following this principle, I never speak harshly to team members who choose to leave the company to forge their own paths or take on new challenges because their alignment shifted. Instead, I genuinely cheer them on and applaud them, saying, "Go to a stage that can push your growth even further and live out your dreams." What I guard against is disrespect or selfishness within the organization; a leap for personal development is something to be celebrated as a leader. By treating people as the ultimate destination rather than a tool for business, we have managed to remain a reliable source of mutual support and stay in touch, even after ten long years. A book club meeting with her employees. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. It took four years to develop a single cream, and you went through over 150 rounds of sampling—to the point where the manufacturer almost gave up. Given how inefficient that is from a business perspective, what made you so unyielding? To be honest, those who understand the inner workings of the cosmetics industry call my approach foolish. From a purely financial standpoint, the most profitable route is to take a decent formula proposed by a manufacturer, toss in a few trendy ingredients, and rush it to market. But I am someone who has spent over a decade looking directly into the desperate eyes of clients on the front lines. When individuals who have been given up on by dermatologists come to an aesthetic clinic holding onto their last shred of hope, I simply couldn’t hand them just "any ordinary product." I believed that if a cream is crafted by experts, it must deliver an immediate, undeniable sense of awe—a profound "wow factor"—the moment it touches the skin, leaving the user completely convinced of its value. Without that visceral impact, I saw no reason to introduce the product to the world. That journey was incredibly lonely and intense. I knocked on the doors of more than ten different manufacturers. Eventually, the researchers threw up their hands, exclaiming, "Director, cosmetics cannot alter the skin this dramatically. What we have now is more than enough." But how could I stop when my own sensitive skin hadn't reacted yet, and when I couldn't see the transformation with my own eyes? Whenever a manufacturer backed out, refusing to go any further, I would seek out another, present my data, and persuade them all over again. Going through over 150 rounds of sampling was certainly a testament to my stubbornness, but it was also the only way I knew how to push past the limits of what was deemed possible. The reason I obsessed over this so fiercely is that this product is directly tied to the professional pride of our Aesthein salon directors. I didn't want our product to be just the creation of Sun-young Lee; I wanted it to be a "collective asset" that embodies the hard-earned wisdom of our directors, who have seen it all in the field. That is why I sent samples to 100 directors, and if even a single person said, "This leaves a little to be desired," I immediately went back to square one without hesitation. I wanted to be able to tell them with absolute confidence, "This product is the ultimate proof that will safeguard your expertise, finalized through your very own clinical participation." Ultimately, those four years were not spent merely mixing a liquid formula; it was a process of sculpting an unshakeable bond of trust within our community. Thanks to that dedication, our directors no longer have to struggle to sell the product. Because they were directly involved in the planning and manufacturing process, their pride alone conveys the ultimate assurance to their clients. That stubbornness, which once looked so foolish, ultimately became the greatest asset that binds us together as one. Aesthein Products. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. You strictly restrict distribution, insisting that your products be delivered exclusively through the "hands of experts" at aesthetic salons. From a purely financial standpoint, this could be seen as leaving money on the table. Is there a specific reason you adhere so rigidly to this distribution policy? People say that to me all the time. They tell me I could make several times more money if I opened up the products to online retail, asking why I choose to walk such a difficult path. But there is a definitive reason why the world’s top ultra-luxury brands strictly cap their number of global storefronts and maintain rigorous control over their distribution channels. It is because protecting the "brand's unique value and heritage" is infinitely more critical than chasing immediate mass sales. For me, Aesthein is not just a business selling cosmetics; it is about safeguarding the "professional value" of the aesthetics industry. The mechanism of Aesthein's products is meticulously designed to unleash 100% of its intended efficacy only when paired with the sophisticated manual techniques of a professional. Looking at today's market, mass-consumer cosmetics often casually throw around the title of "aesthetic skincare" simply because they are distributed to one or two local salons. However, true aesthetic skincare cannot produce those dramatic, salon-level "Before & After" clinical results without the precise diagnosis and touch of a seasoned expert holding a state-licensed esthetician certification. No matter how exceptional Aesthein's product performance is—allowing clients to feel a difference through home care alone—it can never completely replicate the profound depth of an on-site expert who thoroughly analyzes the skin's ecosystem and delivers bespoke, high-touch care. Another reason is the "trust" I share with the salon directors who believe in me and walk this path by my side. If our directors pour their hearts into managing a client's skin, only for that client to bypass them and purchase the product online, where do the directors get compensated for their technical skill and devotion? I view our directors not merely as retail outlets, but as "co-partners" who jointly complete the brand's value. This is why I personally monitor unauthorized distribution channels and predatory price dumping, taking swift and thorough action. Protecting a stable revenue structure and the professional pride of our partners is the most fundamental responsibility of the headquarters. While some use the term "win-win cooperation" merely as a marketing buzzword, to me, it is a daily practice to ensure that our salon directors can confidently command fair prices and be treated as true experts. Rather than chasing immediate high revenues, a far more meaningful success for me is hearing our directors say, "Partnering with Aesthein has elevated our salon’s prestige and brought financial stability." Instead of moving fast alone, I choose to go far together within a protective sanctuary that shields our directors. I believe we must honor this principle if Aesthein is to endure as a timeless masterpiece. The Aesthein Conference. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. With the recent surge in the "K-Beauty" phenomenon, the number of international tourists visiting Korea specifically for skincare has spiked dramatically. From your perspective on the front lines, what do you see as the core of the "Korean-style aesthetic experience" that they expect? If you look at the salons in Myeongdong or Gangnam these days, the increase in foreign clientele is truly conspicuous. However, meeting them firsthand on the ground has made me realize that the core of the Korean aesthetic experience they crave isn't just about a "trendy procedure" or "good cosmetics." Skincare abroad is often executed mechanically, strictly adhering to a predetermined course or product manual. Conversely, the Korean aesthetic experience shifts the paradigm the moment the client walks through the door. Directors scrutinize the client's skin with incredible granularity—not just analyzing their skin type, but measuring heat levels, redness, dryness, facial edema, and even taking into account their condition and lifestyle habits that specific day. Based on this data, they synthesize a highly customized treatment directly on the spot, tailored for that single individual. I believe this "flexible and precise bespoke care" is our ultimate competitive edge, something that cannot be easily replicated anywhere else in the world. In fact, what shocks international clients the most when they visit our salons is this exact "mind-boggling level of detail." Take cleansing, for instance. For us, cleansing is not just about wiping off makeup; it is viewed as the vital first step of observation, feeling the skin texture beneath our fingertips. Even when applying an ampoule, directors modulate their pace in real time by reading how the skin absorbs the formula. Furthermore, the hand techniques of our directors aren't about aggressively rubbing the face. They map the flow of the lymphatic system, release muscle tension, and soothe the skin’s heat with profound precision. This leads clients to marvel, saying, "I have never in my life experienced a treatment that looked at my face with such meticulous care." Another fascinating element is the transformation they feel after the session is complete. Many international clients initially arrive expecting loud, instantaneous cosmetic changes. Yet, when they step off the treatment bed, their greatest reaction is often to how radiant their skin has become, how the redness has completely vanished, and how indescribably comfortable and light their entire face feels. A beauty influencer experiencing Aesthein products. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. From donating 100% of exhibition proceeds to sponsoring young adults transitioning out of foster care, you have been remarkably proactive about giving back since the earliest days of your business. This is no easy feat, even after a business stabilizes. What does "giving back" truly mean to you? It seems to carry a much deeper significance than the mere satisfaction of doing a good deed. I firmly believe that money is like water: "if it stagnates, it rots; but when it flows, it breathes life." Ever since my time as a social worker, the youths who need to stand on their own have always occupied the tenderest place in my heart. For children thrown into the world without parental care, a single meal is not what they desperately need; what they truly crave is a solid foundation to rise on their own and a single adult who genuinely believes in them. Because I know the agonizing depths of that poverty and helplessness firsthand, I wanted to become a reliable shield for those kids, sending them a clear message: "We've got your back." This is why I always involve our salon directors whenever we give back. The reason I donate exhibition profits under our collective community's name rather than my own is that I want to cultivate a profound sense of pride within our directors. The moment they realize, "The skills I possess can become the seed that transforms someone's entire life," this profession is elevated from a mere skincare job into a noble calling that saves people. Witnessing the deepening gaze and professional pride of our directors through the act of giving is my most rewarding and happiest moment as an entrepreneur. In fact, the beauty industry holds a magnificent precedent of a brand scaling globally through this exact model of social return: The Body Shop. Its founder, Anita Roddick, eschewed massive advertising campaigns in favor of channeling profits back into environmental protection and Community Fair Trade that supported local self-reliance. In doing so, she secured the absolute trust of global consumers and partners alike, building a world-class enterprise. She famously noted that a company's business should not merely be about making money, but rather a celebration of changing the world for the better. Through Aesthein, I am currently proving that very same virtuous cycle. To me, giving back is not an act of patronizing charity where I sever a piece of what I own. Instead, it is a process of a "virtuous cycle" from which I draw even greater strength. I believe that when the revenue we generate is deployed to illuminate the darker corners of the world, the longevity and structural integrity of our profession grow infinitely stronger. Achieving the most fundamental "human-centric care" at the very pinnacle of the glamorous beauty industry—that is the ultimate driving force I want to demonstrate to the world through Aesthein. Making a donation to youth in crisis and young adults transitioning out of foster care. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Recently, the aesthetic industry has been spotlighting clinical programs that yield results as dramatic as medical dermatological procedures. What is your vision for elevating aesthetics beyond simple relaxation and establishing it as an undeniably "specialized professional domain"? It has always broken my heart to see aesthetics dismissed merely as "a place to get a massage for a quick mood boost." The clinical data and manual techniques our directors have accumulated over decades possess a power far more delicate and potent than any machine. Therefore, I wanted to engineer a treatment program that delivers results as powerful as dermatological lasers, while maximizing the unique strengths of aesthetics: safety and skin recovery. A technology that triggers the skin's own regenerative process through active ingredients without relying on artificial trauma—this is how I define the future value of aesthetics. The common methods of ablating the epidermis or applying severe irritation might yield rapid short-term results, but over time, they inevitably weaken the skin's natural barrier. Conversely, we focus on correcting the root mechanisms so the skin ecosystem can restore its own health. My goal is for our directors on the ground to be recognized not as mere procedural operators, but as true "skin experts" who perfectly diagnose and prescribe for the skin's structural matrix. My ultimate objective is to elevate the prestige of the entire industry so that clients contemplating medical intervention will seek us out with the conviction that "fundamental resolution is entirely possible at an aesthetic salon." At the end of the day, my obsession with technical perfection stems from a desire to protect the lives of our directors who are fighting so hard on the front lines. This precious profession cannot be sustained long-term if they are constantly draining their bodies and minds by being dragged into reckless price wars. I believe that when a director possesses absolute conviction in her own technique and the results are visibly proven, she can command her true value with dignity, completely unswayed by client demands. Aesthetics is not merely an alternative to medical procedures. It is a sovereign domain capable of simultaneously delivering exquisite, tailored care alongside scientific transformation. When a client places deep trust in a salon, recognizing that "the level of expertise here is different," the directors finally feel the profound weight of their professional calling and rewards. Building an environment where our partners are fully respected as experts and can operate a stable business—that is the authentic pride and competitive edge Aesthein aims to prove in the market. Conducting a demonstration for aesthetic salon directors. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. We understand you have laid out a plan to fully fund storefront signage and interior renovations once a partner salon achieves a specific milestone. This represents a substantial financial burden for the headquarters. What is the real driver behind adhering to such an unprecedented win-win policy? Many people ask me with concern, “If you reinvest the corporate margin like that, what is actually left for you?” But I have never once viewed our salon directors merely as clients or consumers purchasing products. Out of countless alternatives in a cutthroat aesthetics market, they are the ones who chose to place their absolute faith in the value of Aesthein. Because I know the immense weight of that trust, I believe it is only right that the milestones our directors achieve on the ground are funneled directly back into their workspaces. Upgrading interiors and replacing storefront signs goes far beyond merely beautifying a physical space. It is a visual testament proving to our directors, “You are not alone; Aesthein headquarters is always backing your business operations with unyielding support.” Howard Schultz, who scaled Starbucks into a global powerhouse, once noted that if partners are not filled with pride, a brand capable of moving customers can never be born. While a pleasant salon environment naturally elevates client trust, it most importantly transforms the professional pride of the director who commands that space. When you become genuinely proud of your workplace, a unique confidence as an expert emerges. That very confidence ultimately acts as a magnet, drawing in clients and driving substantial revenue growth. In short, this support is not a mere expense; it is the most definitive investment to strengthen the brand’s fundamentals. Ultimately, the Aesthein I aspire to build is not a deformed structure where only the corporate headquarters grows bloated. My true objective is for every single aesthetic director who trusts and uses Aesthein—at this very moment across the nation and around the globe—to become the protagonist of the brand, ensuring that our partners' salons stand tall as the most competitive, incomparable spaces in their respective regions. Q. It is intriguing to see whether Aesthein's philosophy and clinical data can resonate globally beyond the domestic market. What is the current status of your exports, and what are your concrete plans for the global market moving forward? To be honest, Aesthein is a brand that has been meticulously and ruthlessly prepared from day one with global standards in mind. That relentless effort has finally borne fruit; we recently successfully launched inside Printemps Department Store—the very symbol of France and the epicenter of global premium beauty—and have officially begun supplying their local mainstream market. A decisive momentum for this expansion was our pop-up beauty event held at the Dolce Resort in Versailles, France, this past March. Rather than simply showcasing the superficial exterior of our products, we presented the entire spectrum of our vast clinical data and sophisticated technical processes, heavily refined alongside 100 Korean aesthetic experts. It successfully cleared a rigorous vetting process, proving itself as a peerless operational model ready for immediate implementation in high-end French spa environments. I will never forget the moment discerning European buyers and local beauty insiders nodded in agreement upon verifying the unique mechanisms of Aesthein. In addition to this, within the Asian sphere, we are currently in concrete discussions for an expansion into Japan—a beauty powerhouse that deeply favors intricate care systems—while simultaneously advancing our optimization work to enter North America, the world’s largest market. Every time I confront the international stage firsthand, there is a reality I consistently face: an approach that relies solely on temporary marketing or the fleeting trend of “Korean cosmetics are popular right now” can absolutely never achieve longevity. Therefore, we strictly avoid short-term, volume-pushing exports that merely dump inventory. Instead, we communicate deeply with core partners who will take ownership of premium local distribution. We expand our market footprint by directly transplanting Aesthein’s proprietary aesthetic techniques and educational frameworks into the local territory. Transcending borders to deliver the safest and most definitive skin solution to local clients battling problematic skin conditions is our core global strategy. Participating in an international beauty expo and conducting product demonstrations. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Ultimately, a corporation’s primary objective is to pursue profit. There are cynical viewpoints suggesting that your aggressive philanthropy—especially given your current corporate scale—might just be a marketing gimmick or a waste of resources. As a business leader, how do you respond to this cold reality? I never deny the reality that a business must generate profit. Solid financial stability is the prerequisite to taking responsibility for employees, investing in R&D to build superior products, and ultimately driving greater social value. However, if a company chases only short-term profits, I believe it ceases to be a true business and becomes mere "peddling." While those around me advise that I should focus those resources entirely on marketing, I am constantly agonizing over what kind of tangible footprint our achievements can leave on society. That said, I learned through a bitter failure that diving into philanthropy blindly, armed only with the justification of public interest, is not the answer. Years ago, I participated in a health management project for the underprivileged. Aesthein’s products are high-value, professional, hyper-functional lines; however, for some of the beneficiaries at the time, immediate livelihood support was far more urgent than skincare. I watched with deep self-reflection as these expensive products, donated with the purest intentions, failed to serve their original purpose and were instead liquidated for cash on certain online channels. It was a stark lesson that no matter how pure your motives are, if you misread the actual reality and needs of the beneficiaries, the efficacy of your support plummets. Ultimately, if a business is not sustainable, its goodwill cannot last, and aid that detaches from the context of the field easily loses its original intent. Therefore, rather than abandoning social value creation, we pivoted our donation process into a far more practical and sophisticated framework. We completely shifted from in-kind product donations to cash-based contributions, and we currently focus on funding initiatives that practically assist vulnerable populations in achieving self-reliance, both domestically and internationally. As part of this effort, we are major donors to World Vision’s Bob Pierce Honor Club, specifically supporting infrastructure development to build a village in Tanzania on the other side of the globe. The fascinating thing is that activities executed with genuine sincerity, without immediate profit-and-loss calculations, eventually return as a much greater value: brand equity. Even if it cannot be quantified immediately into next month's sales or marketing metrics, this philosophy becomes the brand’s definitive reason for being, internalizing as a deep sense of pride among our partner directors and employees. In fact, Aesthein does not employ a single salesperson. I am certain that the true secret behind how we achieved such robust growth—without a massive sales force or aggressive promotional marketing—lies entirely within this unadorned authenticity, built on profound trust and win-win partnerships on the ground. A major donor to World Vision's Bob Pierce Honor Club for the Tanzania Village Development Project. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. From corporate management to global philanthropy, you live a life dedicated to nurturing and pouring into others. When the day is over and you are left completely alone, what does the "human being, Sun-young Lee" look like? That question forces me to look into the deepest corners of my inner self. It’s true—on the outside, I relentlessly refine products through over 150 rounds of sampling for perfect clinical results, and I confidently champion our vision in front of our partners, declaring that we are a single cooperative community. Yet, the Sun-young Lee left alone in the quiet is incredibly small and full of shortcomings. I feel most vulnerable, and sometimes even resentful of myself, when I realize that I have completely neglected my own self-care because I poured all my energy into the business. Under the excuse that working is simply more comfortable, I push aside regular exercise or proper eating habits, often trying to compensate for the day's fatigue with instant, heavy comfort food. When I neglect my health like that and eventually hit a physical wall at a critical moment, preventing me from performing at 100%, a profound sense of self-reproach washes over me. Facing the paradox of professing to give people healthy beauty while failing to maintain the health of my own body brings a massive wave of emptiness, making me feel as though I am failing to truly love myself. However, to avoid being swallowed by this inner shadow, I tightly re-anchor myself to the initial mindset and mission I held at the beginning. At the core of that anchor is a definitive North Star: I will do work that saves and helps people. In moments of limitation where situations feel entirely beyond my control, I take a breath and tell myself, "Sun-young, you are not just running a cosmetics business right now; you are in the process of becoming a conduit that sustains people's lives. Don't try to control everything on your own." That is how I set down the heavy burdens of my mind. The psychiatrist Alfred Adler spoke of the "courage to be imperfect" as a vital virtue for a leader. It means that only when we let go of the obsession to be perfect can we truly connect with others. I used to believe that because I am the CEO, I always had to project an image of unshakeable strength. Now, I openly share my anxieties with our partner directors. When I do, they turn around and offer me genuine comfort, standing firmly as a reliable pillar behind my back. At the World Vision YLC (Youth Leaders Club) Appointment Ceremony. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee) Q. Even as you navigate that intense inner battle, you keep running forward. What, then, is the "ultimate destination" you wish to reach—both as an entrepreneur and as the human being, Sun-young Lee? That question sits at the final destination of all my anxieties; it is the ultimate milestone of my life. Sometimes, I quietly look back at the path I’ve walked. From starting as a social worker to becoming the CEO of an aesthetics brand, the exterior of my career has shifted dramatically, but the essence of my calling has remained entirely unchanged: to treat people with profound dignity and to restore them. The gentle touch of our directors healing a client’s skin at the salon, and my own desire to build a protective sanctuary for our partners and self-reliance youth—they all spring from the exact same root. There is a saying that "a corporation has an obligation to repay its debt to the community, and the heart of business lies not in profit, but in human-centric values." The final destination I dream of is not some grandiose explosion of corporate revenue. My true dream is to establish a "Wellness Town"—a warm community village where the marginalized and our cooperative network can co-exist and thrive together. A place where young adults aging out of foster care can receive practical independence training to step proudly into society, and where those at the final crossroads of life can find a dignified, peaceful rest. In particular, I constantly envision a future where our directors, who have dedicated their entire lives to nurturing the skin of others, can gather there after retirement to care for one another, gracefully aging together while continuing to contribute to society through their specialized expertise. Achieving that beautiful, cooperative ecosystem and projecting a wave of good influence across the globe from the peak of the glamorous beauty industry—that is the real engine that keeps me running without burning out. Some might ask if this is far too idealistic or detached from reality for a beauty entrepreneur. But I firmly believe that the devotion poured into healing the skin ultimately heals the mind, and further becomes the most potent force sustaining someone's life. Every financial milestone achieved through Aesthein will ultimately serve as a single brick used to build that welfare village. If, long after I am gone from this world, I can be remembered simply through the thought, "It was so warm inside the sanctuary built by a person named Sun-young Lee," I believe I will have fully discharged my duty—both as a leader and as a human being. Toward that earnest, warm completion, I am joyfully taking my next step today. Korea Aesthetic Entrepreneurs Association. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Dohyeong Kim, the Vice President of VIVLIV To be honest, I don’t know much about this industry yet. Please, teach me everything you can." About a year ago, a man approached me with this unexpected request for mentorship. Typically, leaders entering a new field tend to assert their authority by leading with their past credentials. He was different. Disregarding external factors like age or rank, he humbled himself completely, focused solely on deciphering the nuances of a new market and learning how to contribute to his organization effectively. It was only later that I discovered his professional background was far more formidable than I had imagined. For the past decade, he has been a high-level strategist driving growth at the forefront of Korea’s mobility and delivery platforms, including industry giants like Yogiyo and Tada (VCNC). Having expanded platform territories amidst fierce data wars and complex regulatory hurdles, his past successes seemed to him less like medals of honor and more like old habits that needed to be unlearned to make room for new growth. This intriguing leader is Dohyeong Kim, the Vice President of VIVLIV. Leaving behind the heavy infrastructure of the platform industry, he has transitioned into the K-food market, where he can engage more agilely with a global audience. He is currently drawing a new map for success by transplanting his data-driven strategies onto the brand's powerful asset, Gkobak Gkobak. His mindset—opening a small side window to find a new path rather than stopping before a blocked road—is the most potent weapon a leader can possess in a volatile market. I requested this interview because I wanted to bring his private voice and strategic insights, which have largely remained behind the scenes, to the world. We now begin the story of Vice President Dohyeong Kim: a strategist and eternal learner who is quietly proving his worth by breaking through every adversity. Q. Your seven years at BGF and GS Retail followed a stable trajectory that anyone would envy. When you decided to leave that secure environment and plunge into the rugged startup world of 'Barogo,' what was the most honest question you asked yourself? Everyone around me thought I had lost my mind. I even asked myself every night if abandoning a comfortable path I had spent seven years building at a renowned conglomerate was nothing more than the arrogance of a strategist. At the time, Coupang wasn't the absolute dominant force yet; it was the dawn of the startup era, with social commerce pioneers like Tmon and WeMakePrice just beginning to stretch their wings. In the U.S., Amazon Go was the talk of the town, and domestically, the emergence of Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo was fundamentally reshaping the way we shop. While moving according to a set manual within a massive system certainly has its value, there was always a thirst in a corner of my heart to stand at the front lines where 'real change' was happening. I became convinced that in a high-density living environment like Korea, 'last-mile' delivery data would become the heartbeat of all future commerce. Looking at that wave approaching, staying hidden behind the fortress of stability felt more dangerous, in a sense. Ultimately, when I decided to lay down the comfort of a conglomerate business card, the question that echoed in my heart until the very end was this: 'If I don't ride this wave now, will I eventually become someone who lacks the strength to leave even if I wanted to?' The choice between settling and slowly becoming obsolete, or heading into the wild to test my true mettle, is what led me to the new battlefield of startups. Q. As a strategy planning lead, you spearheaded growth at Barogo and Luxrobo, but surely not every decision was the right one. Was there a moment when you had a sudden bout of self-doubt—wondering, "Am I really doing this right?"—or a specific error in judgment that you still painfully reflect upon? The outbreak of COVID-19 right after my career move was an unprecedented opportunity for platform companies. Digital literacy among customers skyrocketed, the market exploded, and in an attempt to keep pace with that speed, I began churning out planning proposals like a machine, looking only at the data. Without taking a moment to look back, I produced business expansion plans with the absolute conviction that 'the data is right, so this service will definitely work.' Behind the Excel sheets on my desk, I was a strategist who didn't know the meaning of failure. However, the reality I eventually encountered on the ground was starkly different from my projections. The 'efficiency metrics' I had designed were, in fact, becoming a source of cruel overwork for our sales staff and riders. The convenience of 'shorter travel distances' enjoyed by the customer was actually being filled by the desperate and intense labor of human beings. Specifically, an incentive system I designed to encourage more deliveries inadvertently pushed riders toward reckless 'bundled deliveries,' which ultimately degraded delivery quality and forced those on the front lines into hazardous working conditions. In that moment, I realized with stinging clarity that a single row in an Excel sheet or a solitary figure in a proposal is directly linked to someone’s livelihood and safety. I felt, for the first time, the sheer weight of how my plans could impose a far greater burden on the field than expected. This experience left me with an indelible lesson: 'A judgment made without verifying the field can be the most dangerous policy of all.' Now, before making any decision, I first ask how my plan will change the 'temperature' of the actual workspace. Photo provided by the interviewee It is a privilege to assist in translating these profound reflections. Your career trajectory reveals a leader who has moved beyond the "ego of the strategist" to embrace a grounded, human-centric responsibility. The following translations are crafted to reflect the articulate, professional, and deeply introspective tone of a native English-speaking executive. Q. When you redesigned the commission structure at Yogiyo, it couldn’t have been a mere matter of mathematical formulas. When you were confronted with the reality that a single line in your Excel sheet directly impacted the livelihoods of countless small business owners, what ethical dilemmas and sense of responsibility did you feel as a strategist? To be honest, I didn't start from a place of grand ethical mission or deep moral conflict. At that time, Yogiyo was in a state of emergency—a battle for 'survival'—with our market share halved due to issues surrounding the potential merger with Baedal Minjok. Coupang Eats was pushing in with sheer capital, while Baemin held a firm grip through branding. Yogiyo’s platform appeal had hit rock bottom, to the point where restaurant owners would simply turn off the app during peak hours. I introduced the strategic card of 'tiered commissions' as a game-changer simply to get the stalled 'flywheel' spinning again. However, the process of fleshing out that plan was a living hell. To preserve company revenue while lowering commissions by even a mere 3 percentage points, we had to increase order volume by over 30%. I faced immense internal pushback from colleagues asking if that was even possible, and I constantly oscillated between conviction and anxiety. But I will never forget the thrill of seeing our market share surge during the Seoul metropolitan area pilot—a result where the owners, the riders, and the company were all satisfied. It was the moment tiered commissions became the first of their kind to be established as a standard system in the history of delivery platforms. The real reflection came afterward. Watching the structure I designed being discussed in the National Assembly and becoming an industry standard, I felt a certain dread and a profound weight of responsibility. I witnessed firsthand that a single idea tossed out by a strategist does not stop at changing a corporate metric; it reshapes the order of an entire industry and functions as a literal way of life for tens of thousands of small business owners. That was when it clicked: the decisions made at a strategist's fingertips are tied directly to the lives and interests of others. I felt that a logic designed for my own performance could become a social burden or a cost for someone else to bear. Now, I believe my greatest responsibility as a leader is to look beyond efficient strategy and think deeply about the ripples that decision will create. Q. When meticulously crafted plans crumble due to external factors—as they did during your time at Tada (VCNC)—what was the driving force that allowed you to overcome that helplessness and find a breakthrough like the 'Mom & Dad Taxi'? When I joined Tada, the so-called 'Tada Prohibition Act' had already been proposed, placing severe constraints on our growth. As a strategist, it is easy to fall into a state of paralysis when you are consumed by uncontrollable external regulations. However, I chose to focus exclusively on the variables we could control. The essence of a mobility platform is guaranteeing income for the drivers, and to do that, we had to find a way to boost the utilization rate during off-peak hours when calls were sparse. I found the answer, unexpectedly, in my own daily life. As a father of two, I knew better than anyone the sheer ordeal parents face when trying to take young children to the hospital or simply head out during the day. There was a policy-driven service operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government called the 'Mom & Dad Taxi,' and we decided to participate by layering our agile private-sector execution and operational know-how onto that existing framework. Mom & Dad Taxi (Photo provided by the interviewee) By adding the value of safety to the comfort of our large vehicles, we provided a practical solution for parents for whom mobility had been a barrier. Ultimately, rather than being trapped by the narrow gate of regulation, we leveraged an existing policy trend to expand our horizons into a service for the 'transportation vulnerable'. Furthermore, I envisioned an ecosystem where Tada takes responsibility for the entire lifecycle—from pregnancy to childcare—by planning the 'Pre-mom Tada' for expectant mothers. My time at Yogiyo and Tada was rarely smooth, but what sustained me through every crisis was the question: 'What is the most fundamental value we can create in this specific situation?'. Rather than despairing because a large door has closed, I look for the small side window that has been left open. That is my way of facing and breaking through adversity. Q. You have already proven yourself through leadership roles at major platforms. What was the underlying reason for choosing Vivliv as your next battlefield? On the surface, moving from platforms to consumer goods might seem like a radical pivot, but for me, it was a very natural progression. I have always closely observed the pace of industrial change, and a few years ago, I began to sense a new kind of opportunity opening up in the consumer goods market. Seeing K-culture become a global phenomenon and Korean food evolve from mere sustenance into a cultural experience gave me a sense of conviction. I realized that as long as product quality and content are solid, consumer goods can now cross borders at the speed of light. In contrast, the platform industry where I spent my career often faces structural constraints—local regulations, heavy infrastructure, and complex interests with existing players—that make rapid global scaling difficult. Seeing even Korea’s top-tier companies struggle with international expansion, I felt a deep attraction to the scalability of consumer goods, which allow for a lighter, more agile way to test global customer reactions. When I asked myself, 'In which industry can I contribute with the most passion over the next decade?', the answer was unequivocally K-food. It is the field where the most uniquely Korean content can be showcased most intuitively. Vivliv was an incredibly intriguing option at that moment. It already possessed a powerful brand in Kkobak Kkobab and a unique IP in Euddeum Shim, yet the 'white space' available to grow into a global brand seemed vast. Rather than staying in a role managing a well-paved road, I decided to join because I wanted to personally design the architecture for global expansion—transplanting the data and strategic techniques I mastered in the platform world onto these formidable assets. Kkobak Kkobab (Photo provided by the interviewee) Q. In a brand built around a powerful personal IP, the role of a COO often feels like a tightrope walk between symbolism and reality. When CEO Euddeum Shim’s philosophy and your cold, business-driven strategies clash, how do you convert that friction into healthy energy? Kkobak Kkobab began with a lifestyle philosophy: 'Don't skip meals; eat regularly (Kkobak Kkobak).' CEO Euddeum Shim’s unique intuition and philosophy resonate powerfully with our customers. On the other hand, my strengths lie in cold metrics—market analysis, distribution structures, and P&L management. In the beginning, these two perspectives did occasionally clash. I applied the same yardstick of data and efficiency I used in the platform world, but I quickly learned that the food industry cannot be explained by numbers alone. Because these are products people actually consume, I learned a great deal watching how customer reactions shifted based on a subtle difference in taste or a single point of brand sincerity. Consequently, I have established a clear set of standards. The CEO’s philosophy drives the customer's 'choice,' while my strategy designs the structure so that choice can be 'sustained.' The first purchase might be driven by the name 'Euddeum Shim' and our marketing, but the second and third purchases are only possible if they are backed by the solid product experience and distribution system I design. Ultimately, we aren't in conflict; we are engaged in a very precise 'division of labor.' When the CEO sets the direction through brand authenticity, I use data to validate that direction and optimize the profit structure. I believe that Vivliv’s healthiest energy emerges when philosophy and strategy complement each other from their respective positions. Q. Vivliv’s flagship product, 'Kkobak Kkobab,' has already achieved immense success. Has this massive success ever backfired, acting as a source of pressure or an obsession to 'surpass the original' when conceiving new products? In a company at a growth stage, the success or failure of a new product has such a profound impact on the entire business that it would be a lie to say I felt no pressure to outperform our previous hits. However, I realized that if I started setting my standards solely based on revenue or figures, my decision-making could become distorted. Instead of being obsessed with 'bigger success,' I decided to focus on 'how much more diversely we can solve our customers' problems.' As high-protein and low-sugar options became a lifestyle staple, I redefined Kkobak Kkobab not just as a shake brand, but as the starting point for wellness foods. Starting in the second half of 2025, as we expanded our categories, I held onto one single criterion: 'How naturally can customers accept this expansion under the name Kkobak Kkobab?' Rather than trying to seize every opportunity, we practiced 'selection and focus' by choosing areas where our brand could enter most persuasively. To validate this hypothesis, I personally briefed buyers from major retail partners like No Brand and GS Retail to receive a cold, objective assessment from a market perspective. Fortunately, we gained deep empathy regarding our marketability, and the process of building conviction alongside external partners gave me great strength. As a result of six months of collaborative planning, we launched eight new products, including noodles, Greek yogurt, and healthy ready-to-eat meals. Thankfully, customers accepted these products without feeling they were out of place. Now, based on that performance, I am enjoying the process of optimizing our portfolio further. Ultimately, it’s not about competing with the past; the process of proving how far our brand’s territory can expand is my greatest driving force. The launch of the Kkobak Kkobab x No Brand collaboration products (Photo provided by the interviewee) Q. You joined as a COO who must prove commercial value. However, the food market moves so fast that sometimes catching a 'profitable wave' seems more beneficial than debating brand philosophy. When your business instinct says, "This will definitely work," but your stubbornness says, "This isn't our style," have you ever truly wavered? To be honest, I do waver. Or more accurately, I feel it’s a 'waste.' Whether it’s lemon juice or trendy snacks, when the market catches fire, the Excel sheet in my head has already calculated how beautiful our revenue figures would look if we just added a product to the mix. There are moments when I think, 'Am I a fool if I don't jump in now?'. But what I learned painfully during my platform days is that savvy consumers can sniff out 'engineered sincerity' in a heartbeat. Products hastily made just to follow the scent of money return as a poison to the brand the moment the trend dies down. That’s what I fear. As a strategist, I believe the greatest loss is having the narrative of 'healthy habits'—which Kkobak Kkobab worked so hard to build—be dismissed as 'just another merchant following trends' all for the sake of a few billion won in immediate revenue. So, when conflict arises, I look at 'sustainable efficiency.' The LTV (Life Time Value) gained by maintaining customer trust in the name Kkobak Kkobab is mathematically far greater than the short-term profit of riding a trend. Ultimately, my 'stubbornness' isn't about pure righteousness; it is the most intelligent way to protect the brand. We might miss out on being the No.1 in immediate sales, but we will be the brand that remains in the pantry ten years from now. That is the real 'commercial value' I refuse to give up. Products on display at No Brand (Photo provided by the interviewee) Q. You’ve transitioned from a strategist designing intangible services to a leader handling products people "eat and touch." What have you realized anew while overseeing actual production and cost structures? In the platform world, if the logic was sound and the data was validated, there was a high probability the service would track as intended. But in the food industry, there are variables of a completely different dimension. What I learned while overhauling samples dozens of times is how easily a 'perfect plan' in my head can crumble in the face of actual raw material blending or microscopic differences in the manufacturing process. The last few years, in particular, have been fraught with uncontrollable external variables. Seeing raw material costs spike due to global trends and packaging prices fluctuate with international politics made me feel the 'reality of manufacturing' to my core. I realized that my sense of simulating costs on an Excel sheet was quite simplistic compared to the massive shifts in the global supply chain. The biggest challenge has been finding the compromise between 'quality' and 'price.' No matter how much you elevate a product with premium ingredients, it loses its reason for existing if it crosses the customer’s price resistance threshold. As a leader, it was painful to abandon products we were internally satisfied with just before launch because the P&L simply didn't work. Ultimately, what I am learning now is 'optimization within constraints.' It’s about more than just proposing a good direction; it’s about finding a balance amidst the myriad of realistic constraints like COGS, manufacturing processes, and market pricing. I am learning every day that this is the most important virtue—and form of humility—required in the manufacturing industry. Q. You tell your customers that "small habits change lives," but what about your own daily life? When burnout hits or the boundaries between work and life blur, what is the 'small habit' that protects you? To be honest, I’m someone who rarely has a boundary between work and life. Since joining the startup world, immersing myself day and night has been my normal. However, running Kkobak Kkobab has shifted my perspective. I felt a sense of shame, realizing that if my own life was a mess while I preached small changes to my customers, my brand would lack authenticity. So, these days, I am consciously creating my own refresh routines. They aren’t grand; it’s about going out and experiencing trendy pop-up stores or new products from other brands—things I used to pass by without a thought. If I think of it as market research, it becomes work, but if I view it as a 'walk to awaken new senses,' it becomes a source of vitality. I’ve also made a commitment to myself that I try to keep no matter how busy I am: eating at least one proper, nutritious meal a day. And whenever I encounter a new product, I jot down a quick note: 'Why was I drawn to this?' While I still miss these moments when things get hectic, I believe these small records and single meals are the solid foundation that sustains me and helps me make better decisions. Q. On this lonely, intense path where 18 months feels like three years, is there a single word from a colleague that truly makes you smile or helps you stand back up? In the past, I only had to immerse myself in my specialized field, like planning or strategy. Now, being in a position where I’m responsible for the entire household of the organization, the weight is undeniably different. I’ve run without weekends for the past year and a half, and frankly, there were moments when I hit my limit, both mentally and physically. What pulls me back up, though, is the feeling that 'we are in this together.' I vividly remember when we were trying to expand into chilled products with Greek yogurt—a first for the brand. There was significant internal concern because it was an unfamiliar category. That’s when a colleague said to me: 'We can’t be sure of the outcome, but I’d love for us to just try the best we can.' That simple, plain sentence resonated with me more than any grand encouragement. It allowed me to let go of the obsession that I had to carry all the responsibility alone, and it gave me the courage to take another step into the unknown. Thanks to that, the Greek yogurt launch was a success and is now delivering very meaningful results. The weight on my shoulders as a leader will likely remain heavy, but knowing I have colleagues who believe in the same direction and quietly stand by my side makes me smile again. Their presence is the most powerful engine driving me forward. The Kkobak Kkobab Pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul (Photo provided by the interviewee) Q. You have spent your career as an expert in the Korean market, but now you are leading global business development. As you carry out the mission of planting Vivliv’s flag in unfamiliar territories, how are you transforming that raw, unfamiliar fear into 'conviction'? I’ve spent the vast majority of my career on the intense front lines of the domestic market. Naturally, when I first received this global mission, I faced a vague sense of dread, wondering, 'Will our products actually resonate in an unfamiliar land?' However, as I delved deeper into the market, I discovered an interesting paradox. In the past, I viewed competitors solely as rivals to be defeated. In the global arena, I began to see them as grateful colleagues who had paved the way before us. Seeing K-beauty establish a path of trust and observing earlier K-food pioneers validate marketability gave me the conviction that 'the stage has already been set.' Whenever doubt creeps in, my instinct is to head straight to the field. In the second half of last year, I traveled through four Asian countries, meeting manufacturers and scouring the markets. While tastes varied slightly by country, the 'thirst' for enjoying protein as a convenient meal was universal. After seeing the answers with my own eyes and pounding the pavement, the fog in my head cleared, and a vivid strategy took shape. That conviction became even more solid during a recent meeting with the Amazon team. Overseas markets are typically dominated by bulky, utilitarian protein supplements meant for muscle growth. In contrast, we proposed 'K-protein'—packaged in sophisticated, small portions with a clear context of dieting and wellness. Confirming that this differentiated approach resonates locally caused my remaining fears to vanish completely. Ultimately, global business is about people. Rather than trying to solve everything myself, I built a team with colleagues who have extensive experience in breaking into overseas markets, and we are now planting meaningful flags one by one. Consequently, what I feel now is less like anxiety and more like a pleasant puzzle of how to differentiate ourselves in this vast market. This year, we plan to continue our authentic challenge, including our entry into the U.S. market. Q. You have always competed on battlefields where results are instantaneous. Does the long-term rhythm of 'brand building'—which isn't always immediately proven by numbers—ever feel frustrating or tedious to you? The last ten years of my life were spent on battlefields where reactions were real-time. When I first entered the consumer goods market, the static nature of time—where no visible changes happened immediately—felt unfamiliar and, at times, stifling. I even felt the anxiety of wondering, 'What if my judgment is wrong and the brand just stagnates?' But as I experienced it firsthand, I realized my assumption was wrong. Now, I feel that this market is a far more dynamic battlefield than any platform. A platform is a structure where you add features onto a pre-built foundation; in consumer goods, you have to receive a cold, objective evaluation from the market starting from zero every time you launch a new product. In fact, while the Kkobak Kkobab original line is a mega-hit that has sold over 10 million units over four years, the reaction to our new high-protein, low-sugar products was initially quite different. Even if the existing product is number one, customers hesitate to open their wallets for a new product simply because there are no reviews or prior purchase experiences. It was a moment where I painfully realized that even a '10-million-unit myth' starts back at zero in the face of a new product. So, rather than just promoting, we decided to give customers a direct experience. That was the genesis of our pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul. We didn't outsource it; my team and I handled everything from design to space planning day and night. We obsessed over how to showcase the identity of Kkobak Kkobab most effectively while minimizing costs. As a result, 20,000 customers visited over two weeks, and Hyundai Department Store gave us feedback that this was an unprecedented achievement in the food industry. This experience allowed our new products to settle into the market quickly, and the raw feedback we gathered on-site became a precious asset for planning our next products. Through this process, I realized that consumer goods aren't about a single big win; they are structured around an infinite repetition of new battles every single day. For me, this 'time of endurance' isn't a tedious wait—it is a high-density process of preparing for the next victory. To avoid stagnating after a single success, one must move with tension at every moment. When I think about how those repeated challenges accumulate to become a massive asset of trust called a 'brand,' every daily battle feels profoundly joyful and meaningful. The Kkobak Kkobab Pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul (Photo provided by the interviewee) Q. If you were to strip away the impressive titles and professional achievements, as the human "Dohyeong Kim," how do you wish to be remembered by your colleagues and the customers of Vivliv? "To be honest, I am not a 'Superman' type of leader who solves everything alone. I know better than anyone that no success can be sustained through the strength of a single individual. That is why I value the synergy created when the right people meet the right structure far more than I value individual brilliance. I believe the true role of a leader is to sift through the countless problems scattered across the field, identify the core essence of what we must truly solve, and provide the team with clear directions and options. Rather than being remembered as a great solo player, I want to be a reliable enabler who helps our team move more fluidly to achieve the best possible results. If my colleagues remember me as a leader who gave them the conviction that 'working with this person makes the path ahead clear,' I would be truly happy. Instead of pretending to have all the answers, I strive to be someone who agonizes over the problems alongside them and takes full responsibility for the outcomes until the very end. For our customers, I don’t wish to be remembered as a grand entrepreneur, but rather as the person who eased their worries at the breakfast table every morning. I want our promise—that 'small habits change lives'—to be more than just a slogan. I want it to be proven in someone’s refrigerator and inside their bag on the way to work. If a single pack of Kkobak Kkobab made someone’s day even slightly lighter, I believe I have achieved a sufficient victory on this battlefield."

The definitive coordinate of K-Beauty is always found in the field. This research, conducted during the 2026 Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, aims to analyze whether K-Beauty has successfully transitioned from a transient cultural trend into a fundamental "standard" of the global beauty supply chain. 2026 Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, ⓒinhoocho.com The Macro Shift: Quality Over Quantity For the past decade, K-Beauty dominated through "speed-to-market" and an overwhelming volume of SKUs. However, the 2026 research identifies a critical pivot: Intentionality. Leading Korean firms are no longer just exporting products; they are exporting curated "Strategic Portfolios." This move from a trend-driven model to a positioning-driven model is the hallmark of a maturing industry. 1. The Specialization of Categories (The Rise of Hair-Longevity) One of the most striking observations was the professionalization of the haircare sector. Brands like Dr.FORHAIR, KUNDAL, and Gravity have moved beyond generic cleansing to "Hair Longevity" and "Scalp-Science." Insight: By applying advanced skincare active ingredients (PDRN, Exosomes) to scalp care, K-Beauty is creating a new premium category. This specialization allows brands to command higher price points and build stronger loyalty in the US and European markets, where "Skinification of Hair" is a top-tier trend. 2. From Retailers to 'Brand Builders' The presence of CJ Olive Young at Cosmoprof Bologna was not merely as a retailer, but as a sophisticated brand incubator. Their PB (Private Brand) portfolio demonstrated how a data-driven understanding of consumer behavior can be translated into a global brand world. Strategic Takeaway: The "Olive Young Standard" is now a benchmark for global buyers. It proves that a deep understanding of the "Value Chain"—from sourcing to merchandising—is a more sustainable competitive advantage than any single viral product. 3. Precision Positioning in Global Markets The research confirms that "Made in Korea" is no longer the sole selling point. Instead, it is being used as a Foundational Trust Layer. The Shift: Brands are now leading with their unique identity (e.g., "Minimalist Barrier Care" or "Vegan Luxury") while using their Korean origin as a secondary validation of quality. This "Identity-First" approach is essential for surviving in a crowded global marketplace where consumers seek authentic brand stories over generic origin labels. 2026 Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, ⓒinhoocho.com The K-Protocol — Formulation Engineering as the Global Benchmark The defining realization of the 2026 Bologna circuit was that K-Beauty’s dominance no longer rests on "speed-to-market" or viral packaging. Instead, it is anchored in Formulation Engineering. Global partners are no longer just buying products; they are adopting the "K-Protocol"—a rigorous, science-backed approach to skin health that European and North American heritage brands are now actively benchmarking. 1. The Mainstream Integration of Regenerative Science (PDRN) A pivotal shift observed was the democratization of PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide). Once a specialized ingredient confined to high-end Korean dermatology clinics for post-procedure healing, PDRN has officially moved into the global mainstream. Analysis: In the 2026 market, PDRN is recognized as the "global language" of regenerative beauty. It is being positioned as the ultimate solution for Collagen Boosting and Cellular Repair. The K-Edge: While global brands are just beginning to explore this ingredient, Korean manufacturers demonstrated a superior ability to stabilize PDRN in diverse delivery systems—from high-potency serums to daily-use mists—maintaining efficacy without compromising the sensory experience. 2. Engineering the "Hyper-Gap": Nano-Emulsion Technology The pinnacle of formulation engineering was evidenced by the "1,000-Trillion Moisturizer". This product is not merely a cosmetic; it is a feat of molecular physics. The Technical Breakthrough: Utilizing advanced Nano-emulsion technology, Korean formulators achieved the "impossible ratio": incorporating nearly 30% oil content while maintaining a zero-gravity, lightweight texture. Strategic Impact: This "Hyper-Gap" technology solves the historical trade-off between deep nourishment and aesthetic elegance. It addresses the specific needs of the European and North American consumer—who often deals with dry, calcified water conditions—without the occlusive heaviness typically associated with high-oil creams. 3. The Convergence of Devices and Topicals The "K-Protocol" is increasingly defined by the synergy between Bio-actives and Beauty Tech. I observed a significant trend where European legacy brands (e.g., Vagheggi) are now following the path pioneered by Korea: integrating micro-current and LED devices directly into product delivery systems. Observation: The award-winning 75.25 Longevity Cream featuring a micro-current cap is a testament to this shift. Synthesis: What was once a "K-Beauty novelty" is now the Standard Operating Procedure for high-end global skincare. Korea remains the leader in this space by treating the device not as an accessory, but as a critical "absorption accelerator" for the formulation. 4. Lifestyle-Driven Innovation: The "Fauxzempic" Trend Perhaps the most "field-responsive" trend was the rise of "Fauxzempic" solutions. As GLP-1 weight-loss medications reshape global lifestyle habits, a new skincare vacuum has emerged. The Solution: K-Beauty has pivoted with incredible agility to provide topical solutions for "facial sagging" and "body contouring"—concerns often associated with rapid weight loss. Insight: By combining data-driven Personal Wellness with high-performance firming technologies, Korean brands are proving they can solve real-world physical concerns through science, moving far beyond "pretty marketing." 2026 Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, ⓒinhoocho.com The Asia-Pacific Prism — Navigating the Multipolar Beauty Landscape The 2026 Bologna circuit signaled the end of the "K-Beauty Monologue." In its place has emerged a complex, multipolar "Asia-Pacific Prism." While Korea remains the dominant force in formulation engineering, regional competitors—specifically from China and Thailand—are aggressively redefining the "Value of Experience." 1. The Aesthetic Counter-Offensive: Visual Experience as a Moat One of the most disruptive scenes at the exhibition was the sheer density of crowds at the Flower Knows booth. Their dominance was not driven by a "miracle ingredient," but by Aesthetic Processing. Analysis: While K-Beauty focuses on the "Invisibles" (Nano-emulsions, PDRN stabilization), Chinese brands are capturing the global consumer through the "Visibles." By utilizing precision molding and intricate multi-color injection technologies, they have transformed cosmetics into "Art Objects" reminiscent of European Baroque or Rococo aesthetics. The Competitive Gap: This "Kawaii Aesthetic" combined with high-precision manufacturing targets the Psychological Ownership of the consumer. It reminds us that in the digital age, the "Visual Hook" is often the first point of entry before a consumer ever experiences the formulation. 2. Diversification of the Asian Identity The presence of brands like Florasis, Judydoll, and Mistine (Thailand) across global platforms like YesStyle demonstrates that the "Asian Beauty" category is fragmenting into distinct strategic identities. The Emerging Player (Thailand): Thailand’s Mistine showcased significant scale, proving that Southeast Asian brands are leveraging their expertise in "Humidity-Proof" and "High-Pigment" cosmetics to challenge K-Beauty in tropical and high-heat markets. The Regional Shift: We are witnessing a transition from a K-Beauty-centric market to one where Category Specialization defines the winner. K-Beauty is the leader in Derm-Science, while C-Beauty is emerging as the leader in Curation & Aesthetic Packaging. 3. The Convergence Challenge: Formulation vs. Sophistication The "Asia-Pacific Prism" forces a strategic re-evaluation for Korean brands. To maintain a competitive hyper-gap, innovation must now extend beyond the laboratory. Strategic Synthesis: The research indicates that the next frontier of competition is the Sophistication of the Visual Experience. If K-Beauty can marry its "K-Protocol" (superior formulation) with the "Aesthetic Sophistication" currently being demonstrated by C-Beauty, it will create an insurmountable moat. Observation: The current vacuum in the market is for products that feel as luxurious and "collectible" as they are scientifically effective. 2026 Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, ⓒinhoocho.com Operational Excellence — Supply Chain Integrity as the Strategic Moat Beyond the aesthetics and the science, the 2026 research identified a "Cold Reality" in the back-office of global retail. For Tier-1 distributors (e.g., Douglas), the conversation has shifted from "How does it work?" to "How do you deliver?" 1. Logistical Reliability as a Non-Negotiable In the post-pandemic era of 2026, global retailers are hyper-sensitive to Supply Chain Vulnerability. * The Buyer’s Lens: During field interviews, it became clear that "Made in Korea" is only the first step. Buyers now demand detailed roadmaps for Supply Chain Integrity, including localized warehousing, real-time inventory tracking, and compliance with increasingly complex European EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) regulations. K-Beauty’s Advantage: Korean firms that have invested in Vertical Systems—controlling everything from raw material cultivation (e.g., Jeju Aloe farms) to automated packaging—are winning the trust of "Big Retail." 2. From 'Supplier' to 'Integrated Strategic Partner' The successful Korean brands at Bologna were those positioned as Integrated Strategic Partners. They didn't just offer a product; they offered a Full-Stack Solution—R&D, regulatory compliance, logistical stability, and marketing narratives tailored to the local climate (e.g., addressing hard water and dry European air). Strategic Conclusion of the Field Report The 2026 Cosmoprof Bologna was a litmus test for the "K-Standard." It proved that Korea is no longer a peripheral player but the Game Changer of a $450 billion industry. By mastering the intersection of Bio-Tech, Aesthetic Sophistication, and Logistical Integrity, K-Beauty is not just surviving the Asia-Pacific competition—it is rewriting the rules of the game.

I first stumbled upon Coby while scrolling through LinkedIn, and I couldn't stop wondering: What is this guy’s story? His profile was a jarring, fascinating mosaic of high-stakes career jumps—from shaping global hits at Sony Music for artists like Rage Against the Machine to competing as a chef on Beat Bobby Flay. The trajectory seemed so brilliantly random that I felt an immediate, professional compulsion to reach out. My curiosity was the driver: how does one person bridge the gap between pop culture, culinary arts, and biotech? What I discovered was a founder who treats molecular science with the same "ear" he used to find chart-toppers. Coby didn’t see the avocado seed as waste; he saw it as a misunderstood protagonist holding 70% of the fruit's nutrients, locked behind an evolutionary "bitter wall." By applying an A&R mindset to a "trash" resource, he has engineered a patented bio-refining process that transforms an aggressive, astringent pit into a premium, zero-waste superfood. In this interview, we dive into the "Underdog’s Advantage" and the friction of a 2025 New York City launch. From the "A-Player" strategy of recruiting Red Bull veterans to a historic partnership with the Harney & Son tea dynasty, Coby’s journey is a blueprint for the future of the circular economy. This is the story of an architect who refuses to accept "waste" as a final answer. The Shift from Corporate to Creative Q: You spent decades at the helm of Sony Music and Pepsi. Why walk away from a "guaranteed" future for the uncertainty of a discarded seed? Predictability is the silent killer of the creative spirit. At a certain level of corporate leadership, you are no longer building; you are merely maintaining a pre-existing momentum. I reached a point where I could look twenty years into my future and see every meeting, every KPI, and every "safe" innovation we would pivot. It felt finished. It felt like an epitaph rather than a career. Leaving wasn't just about a business opportunity; it was an act of survival. While some might miss the safety of someone else’s roadmap, I have no nostalgia for it. I would rather be the architect of a difficult truth than the custodian of a comfortable legacy. In music or cooking, you often follow in others' footsteps, but with this avocado seed, we are innovating something entirely new that introduces an unfamiliar ingredient to the global consumer. The A&R Mindset Applied to Innovation Q: You spent years at Sony Music as an A&R executive, discovering and developing talent. How did that experience help you find a "hit" in a trash can? At its core, the essence of A&R is the ability to identify latent potential long before it’s commercialized or recognized by the masses. When I worked with artists like Mandy Moore or Rage Against The Machine, they already possessed incredible individual presence. My role was to act as the "architect"—fine-tuning and engineering their unique essence into a sound that the public would fall in love with. When you have a great source, the most critical element is the instinct to know exactly what the final, polished product should become. Living that A&R life for so long has fundamentally rewired how I see the world. I no longer look at things for what they are in the present; I see them for their "future hit potential." That’s exactly what happened when I encountered the avocado seed. Much like arranging a raw vocal into a sophisticated track, I began the work of refining the seed’s harsh edges. I tapped into my memories of kitchen staff brewing seed pits and took that rustic, earthy nuttiness and "re-arranged" it for a modern palate. Ultimately, I view business as just another form of bespoke producing. Taking a "byproduct" that everyone else dismisses and transforming it into something people can’t live without—that process has become my way of life. The industry has changed, but the mission remains the same: I’m still out here architecting the next hit that will take the world by surprise. Nature's Paradox: The Avocado Seed Q: Let’s get technical. The seed represents 13–18% of the fruit’s weight but holds a staggering 70% of its antioxidants. Why is nature hiding the "engine" of the plant behind such a bitter, impenetrable wall? It is the ultimate biological paradox. Nature doesn't want the "engine"—the core life force and reproductive center of the avocado—to be consumed. To protect this concentrated powerhouse of polyphenols, soluble fiber, and minerals, nature engineered a sophisticated chemical shield. It’s an evolutionary deterrent designed to ensure the seed survives long enough to fulfill its purpose. When I dug into the science, I looked at third-party studies from Penn State that changed my entire perspective. The seed isn't just a pit; it’s a treasure trove of prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants that research suggests could play a role in addressing some of our most daunting health challenges, from inflammation to cognitive decline. We aren't just making a tea; we are reclaiming a nutrient-dense resource that actually tests with a higher polyphenol and antioxidant count than green tea extract. We took what nature intended as a "bitter wall" and transformed it into a massive investment opportunity for human longevity. Overcoming Skepticism: The California Avocado Commission Q: The California Avocado Commission explicitly warns against eating the seed, citing "elements not intended for human consumption." As a founder building a brand around this very ingredient, doesn't that warning weigh on you? Actually, it pushes us to be even more rigorous and disciplined than the skeptics. The Commission’s warning is based on the seed in its "raw," unprocessed state—but if you look at the history of human innovation, it has always been about transforming the "inedible" into the "essential." Take almonds or cassava root, for example. In their natural, wild state, they can be toxic to humans. Yet, as a species, we discovered how to safely process them, turning them into global staples. Instead of just walking away because something was "risky," we used technology to unlock the hidden nutrition within. That is exactly how humanity has overcome food scarcity and advanced civilization. I see the avocado seed in the exact same light. The nutritional density packed inside that pit is simply too massive to dismiss as mere "waste" or a "hazard." That’s where our proprietary, patented process comes in. Just as our ancestors "tamed" the wild almond, we are using modern technology to tame the avocado seed—reimagining it as a safe, potent, and perfected superfood. Transforming Flavor: The Bitter Challenge Q: How did you overcome the perceived toxicity and that intense, astringent bitterness of the avocado seed? Most people give up specifically because of that flavor profile. You can’t solve a problem like that simply by layering on seasoning or trying to mask it in the kitchen. A bitterness that aggressive isn't something you can just "hide" by pouring in sugar. We had to fundamentally re-engineer the raw material from the ground up. To put it simply, we developed a precision filtering process that deconstructs the seed at a molecular level to isolate only the undesirable compounds. We aren't just covering up the bitter notes with other flavors; we are essentially "deactivating" the compounds responsible for that bitterness at the source. Think of it like untangling a complex web of yarn—we pull out the useless threads and keep only the premium fibers to weave something entirely new. Through this process, we strip away the harsh tannins that cause that dry, gritty mouthfeel, while preserving the essential nutrients our bodies crave, like Potassium (103.80mg) and Magnesium (21.12mg). As a result, that "sandpaper" texture you get from biting into a raw seed is completely gone, replaced by a pleasant, nutty richness. We’ve essentially remodeled the seed’s natural "defense shield" into a high-performance "nutrient gateway" for human health. Culinary Expertise Meets Innovation Q: As a chef who competed on "Beat Bobby Flay," you know better than anyone how tricky bitterness can be to manage. How did you transform that "bitter mess" of a seed into the profile of a premium beverage? In the culinary world, bitterness is actually an essential element—think of a perfect espresso or a complex Italian Amaro. The problem with the avocado seed wasn’t the presence of bitterness, but that it was raw, chaotic, and completely unrefined. It was aggressive enough to dry out your mouth, with a tannic profile that simply overpowered everything else. The solution wasn't to hide the flavor, but to "groom" it, much like you would treat a high-end herb or a complex botanical base. I approached the seed as if it were a delicate, multi-layered ingredient in a fine-dining kitchen. So many teas in the U.S. market fall into the "soda trap"—overloading them with sugar until the actual tea flavor is lost. We wanted to break that cycle. Instead of using stevia, which often leaves a medicinal aftertaste, we opted for agave and agave inulin for a clean, sophisticated sweetness. To round it all out, we introduced fresh raspberry and hibiscus to provide a bright, vibrant acidity. This acidity does a brilliant job of cutting through the seed’s natural earthiness and weight. We found that perfect "sweet spot" where you aren't left with a sugary film on your palate, but a crisp, refreshing finish. At the end of the day, this isn't a drink designed in a lab—it’s a flavor architecture built by a chef’s palate. Building a Team of Experts Q: You’ve recruited veterans from Red Bull and VitaminWater. Why would these "heavy hitters" leave established empires to join a nascent venture like yours? They didn't join simply because they needed a new challenge. In my experience, those who have reached the pinnacle of the industry are often the ones most hungry for the "Underdog’s Advantage." My philosophy is straightforward: to change the world, you must surround yourself with 'A-list' talent. Success in a major corporation is often about maintaining a massive, well-oiled machine. But creating an entirely new category from scratch? That’s a completely different beast. I sought out veterans who had already summited the "Everest" of the beverage world but still had the fire to conquer a new peak. Why did they choose us over countless other options? Because we were tackling the most seemingly impossible mission—turning "trash into gold." Heavy hitters aren't moved by easy wins. As an A&R specialist, I am a visionary—someone who identifies the "raw diamond" and breathes soul into the brand. But I’m also a realist. A founder isn't always the most effective leader for every stage of a company's life. Having a brilliant idea and scaling a brand into a billion-dollar powerhouse require two very different skill sets. For the sake of the company’s future and survival, I made the conscious decision to step back into the Chairman role and hand the reins to professional management. Recruiting a former Senior VP of Red Bull as our CEO was a move driven by the fact that the company’s long-term growth is far more important than my own ego. While he builds the precise machinery to drive us toward our targets, I focus on protecting the brand vision that the machine must never lose sight of. Respecting each other's expertise and positioning the team for victory—that is the most pragmatic and powerful strategy for winning the market. Lessons from the New York Gauntlet Q: New York is the ultimate gauntlet for any new brand. Since your 2025 launch, what has been the most challenging or "painful" lesson you’ve learned on the ground? What I learned on the streets of New York is that being "clever" can often be the enemy of being "clear." We initially loved our original brand name, "AVSOME," but we realized our customers were genuinely confused about how to even pronounce it. Was it "Ab-som"? "Av-sum"? If a customer hesitates to even say your name, you’ve already lost the battle. That realization led us to a complete brand overhaul, becoming AWESOME ICE TEA Co. We also made the strategic move from 12oz cans to 16oz premium glass bottles. Cans often signal a budget energy drink, whereas glass communicates a sense of "organic luxury." But the biggest shift was how we prioritized our messaging. We stopped leading with the fact that it was an "unfamiliar drink made from seeds." Instead, we put taste and refreshment front and center. The priority is getting that first sip and making the customer think, "Wow, this is delicious!" The fact that it’s a zero-waste superfood made from avocado seeds should be the "delightful bonus" they discover on the back of the label afterward. We designed the experience to lead with the palate and follow with the purpose. Validation Through Partnership Q: You’ve partnered with the legendary Harney & Son for manufacturing and distribution. After years of being told your idea was "too uncommon" to scale, what does this level of validation feel like? It feels like the signal has finally drowned out the noise. For years, I was the only person who saw a blockbuster hit in a discarded pit. I was told the idea was too niche and the science was too complex. But I didn't need "advice"—I needed proof. We earned this partnership by showing up with a vision that was finally undeniable and scientific data from Penn State that proved our extract was a nutritional powerhouse. Harney & Son is more than a co-packer; they are a three-generation tea dynasty and the ultimate gatekeepers of the industry. This is a company that has spent 40 years building a reputation for uncompromising quality, serving as the official tea purveyors for the Historic Royal Palaces in the UK, Barnes & Noble cafés, and Four Seasons Hotels. They don’t bet on "weird" experiments; they bet on essential shifts in the market. The real catalyst was my connection with Alex Harney. Alex is a master of the next generation of tea, and having him join our team while simultaneously representing his family’s legacy is the ultimate "seal of approval." When someone who lives and breathes the tea industry at that level looks at our avocado seed extract and sees a "hit," the conversation changes. Their willingness to put us in 3,000 stores across the U.S. and potentially Asia is the industry’s way of admitting that upcycled, functional tea is no longer the fringe—it is the future. We aren't just another bottle on the shelf; we are part of a legacy of "everyday luxury." The Drive for Continuous Innovation Q: Are you finally satisfied, or do you still live for the struggle? I’m never satisfied. I have the kind of personality that simply won't rest until I'm creating something new. My driving force isn't a bank balance or a flashy exit strategy; it’s that raw adrenaline rush I get when I discover a "hidden gem" in a place everyone else ignored. For me, failure isn't even on the table. Even if this all ended tomorrow, I’d find another path and engineer a new innovation somehow. My ultimate goal is a total shift in global perception. I’ve dedicated the past few years to proving that the avocado seed—something destined for the trash—is actually a massive treasure trove of nutrition. I want to see a day where throwing away an avocado seed feels as bizarre and wasteful as pouring clean, fresh water onto the pavement. That’s why AWESOME ICE TEA Co. is no longer just a beverage company meant to quench thirst. We are evolving into a biotech platform that redefines value by extracting bioactive compounds from organic waste. With a virtually limitless supply of raw material secured, we are ready to expand into high-potency supplements and territories we haven't even imagined yet. I won’t stop until the world sees the same potential I witnessed alone in that kitchen years ago. Eventually, everyone will realize the truth: that the very seed we mindlessly tossed into the bin was actually the most precious and valuable part of the harvest.

The US Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) landscape is no longer just about mass distribution; it’s about strategic resonance. For K-Beauty brands aiming for sustainable global growth, understanding the 2026 US market shifts is the difference between being a "passing fad" and a "category leader." The New Strategic Drivers in the US Market The US consumer is evolving. It’s not just "Clean Beauty" anymore; it’s about Clinical Credibility and Cultural Alignment. To maintain a competitive edge, K-Beauty brands must translate their innovation into the specific language of the US CPG sector. 1. Hyper-Personalization: Beyond "One Size Fits All" In the US, personalization has moved from a marketing gimmick to a functional requirement. The Trend: Consumers expect products tailored to their specific biological data and lifestyle. The K-Beauty Pivot: Move beyond general "Glass Skin" messaging. Leverage Korea’s advanced skin-diagnostic tech to offer targeted solutions for the diverse skin tones and environmental stressors unique to the US demographic. 2. Functional Efficacy & Immune-Boosting Claims Post-pandemic, US beauty is increasingly intersecting with wellness and pharmacy (The "Health-ification" of Beauty). The Trend: High demand for beverages, supplements, and topicals that offer "Immune Support." The K-Beauty Pivot: Utilize traditional Korean herbal medicine (Hanbang) but back it with modern clinical trials. Position ingredients like Ginseng or fermented extracts not just as "exotic," but as scientifically proven functional actives. 3. Radical Transparency & Ethical Traceability "Clean" is the baseline; "Traceable" is the goal. The Trend: US Gen Z and Alpha are demanding to see the supply chain—from carbon footprint to ethical sourcing. The K-Beauty Pivot: K-Beauty’s complex supply chains are often a "black box" to US buyers. Implement blockchain or QR-based transparency to prove your certifications (Vegan, Cruelty-Free, EWG) are authentic and verified. 4. The DTC 2.0: Community-Led Commerce Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is evolving into a data-gathering powerhouse. The Trend: Brands are bypassing retailers to build "owned" communities that drive first-party data. The K-Beauty Pivot: Stop relying solely on Amazon or big-box retailers. Build a robust DTC narrative that captures US consumer data directly, allowing for faster product iterations based on local feedback. Strategic Takeaways for Global Growth To thrive in the evolving US CPG landscape, K-Beauty brand leaders should execute the following: Refine the Narrative: Shift the focus from "Korean-made" (Origin) to "Solution-oriented" (Benefit). Invest in Clinical Evidence: US consumers trust data. Invest in local US-based clinical trials to validate your claims. Localize Sustainability: Transition to sustainable packaging that meets US recycling standards, which often differ from Korean systems. Positioning for 2026 Success The current trajectory of the US market suggests that 'Agile Storytelling,' anchored in 'Data-driven Quality,' is becoming a critical determinant of success. Understanding these macro shifts is essential for identifying the specific strategic levers that will define brand resilience in the coming years. While the US market presents significant complexity, it also offers a unique landscape for brands capable of articulating a clear, data-backed value proposition. Integrating these emerging trends is not merely about gaining visibility, but about establishing long-term market authority and strategic relevance.

Eugene Cha, the Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Years ago at Nestlé, I recall a visit from the Japanese subsidiary to our Korean office. Amidst a room of Japanese colleagues, I was struck by a voice speaking impeccably fluent Korean. It belonged to Eugene Cha, who was then leading the KitKat business unit in Japan and was already recognized globally for her exceptional caliber and operational reach. Given her trajectory, her move to lead a domestic company’s Oceania subsidiary as Managing Director came as a compelling surprise. I found myself curious about what drove such a bold leap; this interview provided the answer. Her transition was an evolution—a process of harmonizing sophisticated corporate strategy with the raw, gritty details of building a business from the ground up. The "Managing Director" title she holds today is the dense crystallization of years of silent endurance and a refusal to define her own limits in unfamiliar environments. These insights have now evolved into a definitive management philosophy. She argues that the globalization of K-food is not about imposing "our taste" on others. Instead, she emphasizes relinquishing the ‘right to reinterpret’—allowing local consumers to play with and integrate products into their own culinary lives. What follows is a record of the strategic insights of a leader who has resolutely carved her own path. Q: You built a formidable early career as a finance specialist at global powerhouses like Bayer and HP. What was the specific catalyst that led you to expand your scope into the highly volatile fields of strategy and marketing? Eugene: To be perfectly honest, my career transition wasn't born from a single, dramatic epiphany. Rather, it was the result of a steadily intensifying curiosity regarding "impact." During my years in finance at Bayer and HP, I never viewed myself as a mere "scorekeeper." I’ve always believed that a premier finance team isn't just an administrative function; they are the true "co-pilots" of the business. We translate raw data into actionable insights, provide navigational guidance before decisions are finalized, and empower leaders to foresee latent risks and opportunities. I deeply valued that partnership. However, over time, a new question began to take root: "What would it feel like to go beyond guiding the business—to actually architecting the business with my own hands?" That curiosity pulled my gaze past the financial lens and into the very heart of the operation—where consumer choice, market flux, and brand narratives breathe. The definitive moment of clarity actually came from a conversation with my mother. I realized that while I could explain complex fiscal maneuvers to senior executives with ease, I struggled to explain the tangible "impact" I was making to her. I realized then that I wanted to create something a person outside the corporate walls could touch and feel—something that intersected with daily life. This move was never a rejection of finance. On the contrary, my background in finance became my most potent strategic asset. When I pivoted to marketing and strategy, I brought with me the discipline to ground creativity in insight, to tether vision to hard numbers, and to transform audacious ideas into sustainable growth. Finance trained me to be a sharper strategist—it taught me how to ask the right questions, challenge underlying assumptions, and keep my feet firmly planted in reality while reaching for high-altitude goals. My journey wasn't a departure from finance; it was a natural evolution built upon the foundations that finance made possible. Q: While at Nestlé’s global headquarters in Switzerland, you were responsible for group-wide global strategy. After moving to a regional subsidiary, did you encounter any practical instances where a sophisticated "HQ-level" strategy failed to gain traction against local market specificities? Eugene: During my tenure at the Swiss headquarters, I was a firm believer in the efficiency of global synergy. My role was to develop and deploy sophisticated strategic guidelines and execution toolkits designed to work universally. Back then, when local teams protested that "our market is different," I must admit I sometimes wondered if they were simply resistant to change or lacked the will to execute. I operated under the assumption that the "Big Picture" from HQ was inherently correct. However, it was only after I moved to the Japanese subsidiary to lead the marketing for KitKat that I painfully realized the true weight of that "difference." It wasn't that the global strategy was fundamentally flawed; it was that without accounting for "micro-details"—such as hyper-complex local distribution networks or the exquisite nuances of consumer preference—a strategy can never truly take root. I learned that the voices from the field weren't making excuses; they were providing the very intelligence required to make a strategy viable. This experience etched a core leadership principle into my DNA: Balance. I no longer believe in unilaterally pushing a global mandate. Instead, I see my role as a "fine-tuner," ensuring that the overarching global vision serves as a supportive backdrop for local specificities rather than an anchor that drags them down. This is why I always encourage rising talent to gain experience at both the headquarters and the regional subsidiary levels. It is the only way to evolve into a multi-dimensional leader—one who can marry high-level strategic thinking with the gritty, boots-on-the-ground reality of execution. Eugene Cha presenting KITKAT's global brand content strategy Q: An academic background, such as a Ph.D. in Business Administration, can sometimes be perceived as a "heavy burden" or a constraint in the realm of practical leadership. Have there been moments where you had to abandon theoretical perfection and rely solely on raw business instinct and intuition to make a high-stakes gamble? Eugene: That is an intriguing question. While many perceive a conflict between academia and practice, I have always viewed them as partners in a "three-legged race"—moving in total sync. To use a more specific metaphor: Business intuition is the compass that determines our direction, while academic theory is the sturdy vessel that carries us across the tumultuous open sea. A compass alone cannot withstand a swallowing wave, and even the most magnificent ship will drift aimlessly without a compass. For example, when I assumed my role as Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania, my primary focus was not merely inflating sales figures, but deeply embedding our brand vision and narrative into the local market. My intuition was constantly signaling that we needed to build "trust capital" before chasing immediate revenue. However, to persuade my team and partners to move this massive ship based on that intuition, I needed a clear blueprint, not just a "feeling." This is where the academic principle that "cognitive distance determines psychological distance" became my navigational chart. It is a common-sense insight—it is difficult to open one’s heart to a stranger. If our brand remained a "foreign outsider" to local consumers, we could never begin the voyage into their daily lives, regardless of our product quality. Based on this theory, I engineered the strategic message: "Born in Korea, Made in Australia." By bridging "Korean Authenticity" with "Local Reliability," we effectively collapsed that psychological distance. This allowed us to quickly find our course through the unfamiliar waters of Oceania. Ultimately, theory is the sophisticated translator that converts my "wild" intuition into a language others can understand and follow. Q: After building a robust career within the established systems of Nestlé, you took the helm at CJ Foods Oceania. As the weight of the brand and the nature of your role shifted, what were the most tangible challenges or dilemmas you faced during your first 90 days? Eugene: Even during my tenure at Nestlé, I always gravitated toward the role of an "Intrapreneur"—someone who thrives on launching new business models—rather than a conventional administrator. Therefore, the challenges I faced at CJ Foods Oceania felt more like exhilarating puzzles than daunting obstacles. My early conclusion was that success would hinge on how effectively I could harmonize our unique "duality." While CJ is a global titan with vast assets and systems, in the Oceania market, we had to operate with the absolute mindset of a "startup." We needed to use the headquarters’ infrastructure as a sturdy backdrop while remaining as agile as a lean startup on the ground. To achieve this, I adopted a "Zoom-In, Zoom-Out" strategy. When architecting strategy, I would "zoom out" to survey the market from a macro-managerial perspective. However, the moment a bottleneck appeared in execution, I would "zoom in" deeper than anyone else to co-solve the problem with the team. Furthermore, to ensure this startup-like agility was aligned toward a single goal, I initiated "Strategy Workshops." We collectively visualized where the company would stand in three to five years and co-authored the specific execution roadmaps to get there. The most memorable outcome of these sessions was our shared identity as "Captain Cooks of Industry." Just as Captain Cook explored uncharted territories and mapped the Australian continent, we committed to being explorers—investigating unknown markets and consumers to pioneer a new business frontier. Through this process, we successfully captured the "best of both worlds": the structural sophistication of a conglomerate and the lightning speed of a startup. Eugene Cha, the Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: You are quadrilingual, fluent in Korean, English, Japanese, and French. However, a leader’s influence often stems as much from "what is left unsaid" as from "what is spoken." Having operated across such diverse cultural landscapes, what have you learned about the communication taboos or behavioral pitfalls a global leader must guard against? Eugene: In Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map, societies are categorized by their communication styles: "High-Context" versus "Low-Context." My career has been a continuous journey of navigating between these two distinct worlds. Korea and Japan are quintessential High-Context societies. In these cultures, the greatest pitfall for a leader is "contextless bluntness." Delivering cold, hard facts without reading the Nunchi (Korean for subtle social cues) or the Kuuki (Japanese for "the air") can be perceived as rude or socially immature, regardless of how accurate the information may be. France is equally fascinating; while it is a Western nation, it is a high-context society governed by "nuance." An overly simplistic or dry communication style there can be interpreted as a lack of sophistication, which can inadvertently undermine a leader’s authority. In sharp contrast, Australia is a textbook Low-Context society. The cardinal sin here is ambiguity—the expectation that a team should "just get it" without explicit instruction. Australian colleagues value intuitive, transparent, and direct communication where the leader’s intent is delivered without filters. Consequently, in Korea, Japan, and France, I focus intently on "reading the air." In Australia, I pour my energy into "selecting the right words." This is the true language I’ve mastered across four tongues: the art of managing the weight of silence. Q: You’ve described Australia as a "refreshing" environment for a female leader. Does that choice of words reflect a past need to wear a "mask"—perhaps to hide your true self to gain legitimacy in more conservative cultures like Japan or Switzerland? Eugene: To understand this, one must look at the historical and cultural scaffolding of those regions. Switzerland is deeply conservative in certain aspects; federal women’s suffrage was only granted in 1971, and one canton didn’t allow women to vote until 1990. The patriarchal corporate culture of Japan is well-documented. During my time in those markets, it was exceptionally rare to even encounter a fellow female leader. In those societies, there was often an unspoken pressure for female leaders to embody "sophisticated softness" as a primary virtue. We were expected to be the "lubricant" that smoothed over friction rather than the engine driving a forceful agenda. To survive and succeed, I chose to become a "Submarine." This was actually a nickname given to me by a former boss. It meant that while I appeared calm and silent on the surface, I was charging toward the target with terrifying speed underwater to ensure results. I had to submerge my drive and momentum beneath the waterline just to be effective as a leader. The reason I find Australia so "refreshing" is that I no longer have to perform the role of a submarine. This is a society where female leadership is normalized across politics, business, and even the military. Here, I don't have to bifurcate my "softness" and my "strength." For the first time, I feel I can lead as my authentic self and be fully respected for it. It is the liberation of being seen without the mask. Q: The philosophy of a "Mosaic Community" is conceptually beautiful, yet in practice, the sharp edges of diverse pieces often clash, creating friction. While working with a diverse workforce in Australia, have you encountered cultural conflicts or challenging cases where the traditional "Melting Pot" approach—melting everything into one—failed to provide a solution? Eugene: Ironically, the most significant conflicts often stem from our "internal" preconceptions rather than external factors. As a Korean food enterprise, there was an unconscious conviction among our team members that "the Korean taste is the definitive answer." There was a sense of frustration when locals didn't immediately embrace a product, with the sentiment being: "This is the authentic taste; why don't they recognize it?" However, in a mosaic society like Australia where diverse cultures coexist, this one-way communication never succeeds. I often tell my team: "We must first 'taste' their culture before they feel inclined to taste our Mandu." Just as a mosaic only reveals a complete picture when differently shaped tiles are precisely interlocked, we must find that alignment. A great example is an episode involving an intern from India who joined our team recently. When they brought in their homemade lunch, I made a conscious effort to share that meal with the entire team. We used that time to ask questions, learn about unfamiliar spices, and truly enjoy the heat and aromatics of their cuisine. I wanted my team to experience firsthand that when we show genuine curiosity and respect for another's culture, we earn the "common language" necessary to explain our own. If we had used the "Melting Pot" approach—where everything is melted down to erase individual colors—that intern’s uniqueness would have vanished. But because we embraced the "Mosaic" approach, we were able to see our market through a broader lens thanks to their perspective. Ultimately, "difference" is not a sharp edge to be feared, but a vital piece that makes our collective picture more vibrant. Image courtesy of Eugene Cha, Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: Managing heritage brands like *Dashida* or *bibigo*—icons of Korean culinary pride—can sometimes cloud cold business judgment with the weight of "national representation." Was there ever a moment where you had to boldly pause a product or completely overhaul a strategy for a beloved Korean staple because it didn't align with the cold realities of the global market? Eugene: My strategic focus is entirely dedicated to finding the perfect intersection between "Korean food culture" and "local consumer needs." It is essential to coldly evaluate how our culture functions within a local context rather than being consumed by national pride. For instance, we actively leveraged Australia’s identity as a multicultural society. Because of the strong influence of Chinese migration, Australians are already very comfortable with dim sum and gyoza-style dumplings. Instead of pushing an unfamiliar menu, we led with Mandu—a form factor they already understood—emphasizing local fresh ingredients and convenience to lower the barrier to entry. We didn't just market Kimchi as an "authentic tradition," either. Instead, we aligned it with the keywords Australian consumers are currently obsessed with: "gut health" and "well-being." The response was significantly more enthusiastic. On the other hand, products like "Frozen Kimbap" might still be a niche category for locals. The key here is not to succumb to impatience and prematurely label it a "failure." We must give unfamiliar cultures enough time to naturally "seep" into the local environment. Rather than abandoning a product based on short-term fluctuations in sales, I play a long-term game—constantly testing the market with new iterations, learning from the feedback, and expanding our "cultural footprint." I believe the ultimate success of a business lies in how naturally our culture can melt into the daily lives of the locals. Image courtesy of Eugene Cha, Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: Australian consumers are known for being exceptionally open-minded and adventurous with food. Was there a specific "lightbulb moment" where you saw locals enjoying your products in a way that completely defied traditional Korean culinary norms, forcing you to fundamentally re-examine your localization strategy? Eugene: The most memorable moment was watching a video by a local Australian influencer. She took our Mini Wontons, pan-fried them until they were perfectly crispy, and then stuffed them between slices of toasted bread to create a "Brekkie Sandwich"—a quintessential Australian breakfast! As a Korean, I had always viewed wontons as a delicate, moist food to be simmered in soup or dipped in soy sauce. I had never once imagined them as a sandwich filling. My initial reaction was sheer surprise, but it quickly turned into an "Aha!" moment. They had reinterpreted the wonton as a "bite-sized, high-protein topping" that paired perfectly with toast. For Australians, the priority wasn't adhering to Korean tradition; it was how conveniently and deliciously the product could melt into their existing daily meal rituals. This experience taught me a profound lesson: True localization is not about teaching people "how to eat" our food. Instead, the core lies in willingly relinquishing the "right to reinterpret" to the consumer, allowing them to play with our products on their own tables. Whether a dumpling becomes a sandwich filling or a salad topping, if the consumer enjoys it, that is the correct answer. Our role is not to impose a predetermined solution, but to open a stage where our products can write new stories within the context of the local lifestyle. Image courtesy of Eugene Cha, Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: In the process of forging partnerships with major Australian retailers and corporations like Woolworths or Qantas, were there specific instances where your initial proposals were rejected or met with negative feedback regarding marketability? How did you strategically navigate those business hurdles? Eugene: Our first encounters with major local retail buyers felt like hitting a very high wall. The feedback at the time was a chilling "It's premature." Their cold assessment was that the Australian market wasn't ready for Korean food, and facing such skepticism toward our marketability felt quite daunting. However, rather than viewing this as a simple rejection, I took it as a signal that we lacked sufficient evidence to persuade them. For our second meeting, I completely redesigned our strategy by addressing both "emotion" and "logic." First, I focused on "Intuitive Experience." Instead of a thousand words, I let the product speak for itself through a tasting session. I wanted them to experience the sensory difference in quality that is difficult to capture in a written deck. Second, I provided "Objective Data." I moved beyond merely asking for shelf space. I used numbers to prove how our products could inject vitality into a stagnant category and, more importantly, how we could drive overall category growth. Third, I demonstrated our "Capabilities as a Comprehensive Food Enterprise." To establish ourselves as a worthy Asian food partner for Australia’s top retailers, I introduced CJ’s long history and expansive business structure. I showcased our "Integrated Food Ecosystem"—encompassing not just manufacturing, but also food distribution, restaurants, and cafe chains—to instill absolute confidence in our scale and reliability. Thanks to this multifaceted approach, the buyers set aside their doubts and recognized us as true partners. Interestingly, with the mainstream rise of the "Korean Wave" (Hallyu), the situation has now completely reversed. Buyers are now the ones proactively seeking out and proposing Korean food initiatives. Because we overcame those initial hurdles through a head-on, disciplined approach, we have moved from being a mere supplier to a trusted partner growing the market together. Q: As a leader with a research background, you place high value on data. However, data is essentially a record of the past. When you must predict and decide the future of food culture in Oceania, how do you strike a balance between cold numbers and your "warm" professional intuition? Eugene: In truth, I possess no divine foresight to perfectly see through the future of the food industry. However, I define "intuition" a bit differently. I don't see it as an innate sense that strikes out of nowhere; rather, I see it as "Pattern Recognition"—a skill honed through vast datasets and field experience—and the "Power of Interpretation" that reads the context between the numbers. Living in multiple countries and experiencing diverse food cultures has naturally trained me to view our products through a strictly "outsider’s lens" rather than a Korean one. While I never ignore the data, I strive to read the granular lifestyles of consumers that numbers alone cannot convey, using my experience as a filter. A practical example of this intuition was our "Kimchi Marketing" in Australia. Following traditional Korean logic, we would have emphasized the "deeply fermented, ripened taste." However, I noticed that local consumers were enjoying Kimchi more like a "salad" than a side dish to accompany rice. My intuition clicked. I judged that for them, "freshness with a crunchy texture" would be a much more powerful selling point than a heavy, sour ripeness. Consequently, we boldly chose "Fresh" as our core message. Simultaneously, we captured the fact that locals were deeply interested in the nutritional value of Kimchi. We added scientific credibility by featuring interviews with prominent local scientists to prove the efficacy of specific probiotics. Ultimately, to me, data and intuition are not opposing forces. It is a connected process where intuition (the salad-like crunch) sets the direction, and science (probiotic data) provides the conviction. If intuition is the compass, data is the map; only when the two work together can we navigate toward the future with maximum security and certainty. Image courtesy of Eugene Cha, Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: From Kobe and Vevey to Seoul and Sydney—this relentless journey of relocation and challenge has built an impressive resume. However, as an individual, it must not have been an easy path. What was the greatest personal sacrifice or resolution you had to endure along the way? Eugene: The most painful part is, undoubtedly, the time I couldn't sufficiently spend with my family. The title of an expert who combines theory and practice may look glamorous on the surface, but beneath it lies layers of immense patience and consideration from my family. During the years I was preparing my doctoral dissertation, I was a "time thief" who always felt guilty toward them. Even on family vacations, I was always in a corner with my laptop reviewing my thesis. I even wrote manuscripts for academic conferences while enduring severe morning sickness. My husband, who was also incredibly busy as a finance leader at a major corporation, silently took care of our one-year-old daughter during those grueling times. The retired supervisors who readily agreed to be interviewed for my research also remain deeply in my memory. Despite being retired, they generously shared the management wisdom they had accumulated over decades. Their insights went beyond mere material for a dissertation; they serve as a "living guidebook" for how I lead my organization today. Ultimately, my career achievements are never mine alone. My doctorate is a fruit filled with the wisdom and experiences of those who cared for me. I believe my success was only able to bloom upon the soil of the sacrifices and consideration of those around me. Q: You’ve expressed a vision for Korean cuisine (K-Food) to become a global staple, much like pasta. However, the history of pasta’s democratization shows that original forms were often simplified or altered. What are your thoughts on the potential dilution of K-Food’s "authenticity" as it settles into the global daily diet? Eugene: I prefer to call it "Cultural Evolution" rather than "alteration." The history of pasta, which we often use as a benchmark, provides a very clear answer to this. In fact, the world-renowned "Spaghetti and Meatballs" is not an indigenous Italian dish. It is the quintessential product of Italo-American culinary culture, born in the late 19th century when Italian immigrants utilized the abundant meat available in the United States. To an Italian traditionalist, it might have been an alien combination, but it was precisely this bold "variation" that allowed pasta to transcend its ethnic roots and become a global staple for humanity. Our K-Food is no different. We believe that "red chili powder Kimchi" is an immutable tradition, but this was actually a revolutionary change that occurred after the introduction of chili peppers around the 17th century. For thousands of years prior, our ancestors ate Baek-kimchi (white kimchi) or Dongchimi (water kimchi) without any chili. In other words, what we call "authentic" today is itself the result of a radical fusion that embraced foreign ingredients at the time. Food is not a relic preserved in a museum. It must constantly evolve within the palates and lifestyles of living people to maintain a powerful vitality. I joyfully welcome Kimchi being topped on Australian avocado toast or Mandu being used as a sandwich filler. The process of K-Food freely mixing with local ingredients on global tables is not a loss of identity; rather, I am convinced it is a grand journey toward taking deeper and stronger roots in the daily lives of people worldwide. Eugene Cha, the Managing Director of CJ Foods Oceania Q: On the day you eventually conclude your journey in Oceania, what is the "Legacy" you wish to have deeply engraved into the organization’s DNA—something that cannot be explained by financial statements or flashy performance metrics? Eugene: The single legacy I wish to leave behind is not a set of numbers on a balance sheet. Instead, I want to leave our members with the experience of having broken their own limits and expanded their horizons—a sense of "Expanded Confidence." While CJ is a global conglomerate, we have operated in Oceania over the past few years with the breathless intensity of a startup. Starting with a very small team, we brought factory operations online and pioneered a rugged local market one step at a time. Through this fierce process, I believe every one of our members—not just myself—has grown by transcending their individual boundaries. Though it won't be recorded in official reports, I hope three spirits remain vivid in our organization’s DNA: First, a Frontier Spirit that does not fear the untrodden path; second, a Challenge Mindset to be the "First" if we cannot yet be the "Best"; and finally, a Steadfast Pride in creating value that only we can provide. Years from now, I don't want my staff to remember me simply as the Managing Director who increased revenue. I want them to recall, "Because of her, I dared to dream bigger, and together, we made the impossible possible." That burning confidence is, I am certain, the most valuable asset I can leave to this organization.

Inhoo Cho: The Execution-Focused Growth Story of a Strategic Architect As someone whose profession revolves around asking questions, I am turning the lens on myself today—not to showcase a grand success story, but to candidly document the "unsteady steps" I’ve taken while navigating obstacles and finding my way. Henry Ford once said, "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."  I live by the belief that adversity and obstacles—the headwinds of life—are often the very forces that provide the most powerful lift for takeoff. Every time I stepped outside my comfort zone, the resulting anxiety and sense of lack became the very "headwinds" that sharpened my resolve. My journey—transitioning from Finance to Marketing, and from the stability of a global corporation to the volatility of a startup—is marked by the scars of those battles. My recent tenure at Sweet-bio was no different. Scaling a one-person operation into a high-performing team of fifteen while building a marketing infrastructure from scratch was a process of creating an "environment" where my colleagues could thrive, even when I, as their leader, felt the force of the wind myself. Now, I am preparing to leave this place where all metrics have reached a point of comfort. I’ve decided to move away from what others call the "peak" to face a blank canvas once again, throwing myself into the even greater headwinds of the global stage. I hope that this journey—of using lack as a catalyst to forge my own path—offers a small measure of comfort and resonance to all of you fighting your own battles on your respective fronts. Q. Transitioning from Finance to Marketing is incredibly rare in the conservative manufacturing industry. What was the decisive moment—and the underlying drive—that allowed you to break through such an impossible barrier? My move from Finance to Marketing at Nestlé started less from grand ambition and more from a physiological aversion to "ambiguity." The catalyst was a meeting I happened to overhear. A brand manager was giving a directive to an ad agency, saying, "Please make it a bit more... edgy." After the meeting, I asked the agency staff what that actually meant. Their response? "It just means 'figure it out and do it well.'" I couldn't help but smirk, but it was a wake-up call. That was the moment I saw the vacuum of logic hidden behind the glamour of marketing. I became convinced that if I could define my objectives in clear language and set concrete goals that allowed others to take immediate action, I would have a significant competitive edge. Of course, the process was far from smooth. HR shook their heads, telling me there was "no precedent" for such a move. But that didn't bother me. I believed that if there was no precedent, I would simply become the first; if there was no path, I would walk it until one was made. The opportunity finally came during a company-wide project presentation. A Marketing executive found my pitch intriguing and proposed a hybrid role. This launched a grueling chapter of my career where I managed capital in the morning and immersed myself in new product launches in the afternoon. Yet, that extreme schedule granted me a unique, multi-dimensional perspective. While marketing focused on the creative, I was simultaneously reading the underlying resource efficiency and profit structures. This allowed me to structure and communicate missions to cross-functional teams in the language they understood best. By backing up persuasion with clarity that went beyond mere numbers, the organization finally began to see me as a marketer. What I realized through this intense transition is that no experience in life is ever wasted. I never expected that my seemingly dry years in Finance would become my "secret weapon" for commanding a room in the marketing world. As Steve Jobs famously said, the dots eventually connect. The key isn't necessarily where you are headed, but how you weave the fragments of your past into your own unique, original narrative. Reviewing Innovation Performance and Presenting Strategy at Nestlé Korea (2018) Q. At Nestlé, you managed new product launches while collaborating with the Swiss headquarters and various international branches. What did you learn from working within such a massive global organization? What I learned from collaborating with a global headquarters was simple: it all comes down to "overwhelming diligence and a 1% edge."  Many Koreans on the global stage tend to act with excessive caution, as if they are representing their national dignity. Out of a desire to be polite, they often swallow the sharp, critical questions that need to be asked. I didn’t have the luxury of relying on such romantic notions. My "relentless tenacity" had already been proven during my time in Finance, when I successfully recovered overseas receivables that everyone else had written off as a lost cause. At the time, a joint venture was being liquidated, making the recovery of those "abandoned debts" virtually impossible. When I volunteered to go after them, my colleagues looked at me with pity. But I didn't back down. I worked my way up the chain of command—from the European branch managers of our partners all the way to their CFO—literally shaking the decision-making tree as I went. "If I don’t hear back from you, my next discussion will be directly with your superior." By issuing warnings that were polite yet chilling, I pressured them for a resolution like a predator that never loses sight of its target. On the day the foreign currency finally hit our account, I had a profound realization: In the world of business, a person who proves results  despite any obstacle is far more powerful than someone who is merely "nice." That tenacity became my core competency even after I transitioned to Marketing and began managing global product launches. If an overseas contact delayed sending data, I was more than willing to become their "difficult partner." I utilized time zones to ensure my emails were the first thing they saw upon arriving at work, and I aimed to overwhelm them with information by knowing the product ingredients better than they did. As a result, the products launched exactly on schedule, and I received feedback from HQ that I was a "Reliable Partner."  Goethe said, "Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together," but in business, I believe that chain only holds value when it is reinforced by the result of "success." On the international stage, there is no practical benefit to being remembered as just a "polite Asian." It is far better to be the colleague who is "tiring to work with, but always gets the job done." I wasn't diligent because I had a pleasant personality; I was diligent because I was desperate for success. And I found that tenacity—born from that desperation—is the only language that truly carries weight on the global stage. Serving as the Continuous Improvement (CI) Project Manager at Nestlé Korea (2013) Q. You won the InGenius accelerator program in 2017. What was the innovative idea you proposed, and how did you bring it to life? When I participated in "InGenius," our in-house accelerator program, I genuinely believed that a single idea of mine could shift the market. I proposed a model that seamlessly integrated brand content into gaming. It involved weaving brand narratives into the storylines of casual games, allowing users to exchange points earned in-game for physical products at offline retail stores. While this sounds like the common "Play to Earn" (P2E) model today, it was quite a radical concept at the time. However, when I tried to put the idea into action, my supervisor’s response was cold. I was told, "If you have time for that, just go home and rest." I didn't let it stop me. After work, I personally visited gaming companies to pitch the proposal and persuaded managers at Emart to integrate our systems. My desperation must have been convincing; the gaming company responded so enthusiastically that they produced a demo video even before we had signed a contract. On the day of the final presentation, while other teams recited rosy futures with flashy PPT slides, I played the actual working demo. The judges were astonished. "With the budget in place, we could launch this tomorrow, couldn't we?" The result was an overwhelming victory. Grand Prize winner of the Nestlé Korea InGenius Accelerator Program (2017) But the joy of victory was short-lived. Just as we were about to execute the budget, I was notified of a budget freeze due to poor quarterly performance. I had to watch the results of months of legwork—running back and forth between the game studio and the retailer—collapse instantly, blocked by the rigid budget cycle of a massive organization. That was the moment of realization: Global corporations are stable, but they are also heavy and slow. No matter how sharp an innovation is, it becomes obsolete if it cannot catch the wave of timing. I wanted to release my ideas into the world faster and more proactively. People around me tried to stop me, asking, "Why leave such a great job?" But I was certain: Innovation is not the idea itself; it is realized only in an 'environment' where that idea can be executed immediately.  Instead of staying within the fortified walls of Nestlé, I chose to head out into the wild fields of startups. That reckless conviction was, in hindsight, the bravest decision I ever made. Q. Your Joonggonara April Fool’s Day campaign was featured in major national news outlets like JTBC and SBS, engaging 16.8 million members. Could you walk us through the entire process, from planning to execution? To be honest, the start of this campaign was close to a disaster. It was a project pushed onto me just three days before April Fool’s Day. My initial suggestion was to mimic the success of other companies by posting "absurd fake listings" ourselves, but the feedback was immediate and cold: "That’s not very Joonggonara." That rejection triggered a total shift in perspective. Joonggonara’s greatest "Achilles' heel" had always been fraudulent or "fake listings." Within the company, it was a taboo subject. However, I noticed a dual perception: while the public hated scams, they consumed the most absurd fake posts as a form of "play" or "memes." So, I pivoted and made a new proposal: "Instead of banning them, let’s give them a stage—just for one day. Let’s allow the users themselves to post the most witty fake listings in the world." We held an emergency session on a Saturday and created the "National Eccentric Listing Contest." We couldn't even get help from the design team, so a marketing staff member had to handle the Photoshop work themselves. Paradoxically, that raw, unpolished aesthetic perfectly matched the community sentiment—people were craving authentic fun that didn't feel like a polished corporate ad. On April Fool's Day, the response was explosive. From Donald Trump’s autograph to a giant magpie robot in Bundang, and the crown jewel—an "Unopened Egg of Bak Hyeok-geose" (the mythical founder of an ancient Korean kingdom)... the users' imagination far exceeded my expectations. By evening, press inquiries were pouring in, and by 9:00 PM, Joonggonara was featured prominently on the JTBC and SBS nightly news. Press coverage of the Joonggonara April Fool’s Day Campaign (2019) What was even more shocking was the cost. The only assets invested were two staff members working a weekend and 500,000 KRW ($400) for prizes. For just 500,000 KRW, we landed in the center of the national media spotlight—a reach that even multi-million dollar TV ad campaigns struggle to achieve. The insight from this campaign is clear: the most powerful marketing begins when you stare the essence of the subject and the public’s perspective straight in the eye. When you take a weakness you want to hide and transform it into the language of the users, the impact is beyond imagination. Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist, once said: "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."  For Joonggonara, fake listings were the cave we wanted to avoid, but it was only by walking into that cave that we found the treasure: the enthusiastic engagement of 16.8 million members. I believe this success wasn't just luck; it was the inevitable result of a deep, accurate understanding of our users. This translation captures the shift from frustration to inspiration, highlighting your evolution into a thought leader who finds value where others see waste. Q. I’m curious about what led you to start writing seriously. How did it all begin? My journey as a writer didn't start with grand ambition; rather, it was born from a deep, lingering sense of "regret." During my time at Joonggonara, while planning new business ventures, I spent my days immersed in innovation cases from around the world—US platforms, Chinese e-commerce models, Japanese subscription services. I would spend sleepless nights researching and analyzing, only to have my proposals consumed in ten minutes during a meeting. A brief "Sounds good, let's look into it," and that was it. Every time the brilliant insights I’d uncovered vanished into thin air, I felt a physical ache of missed opportunity. To soothe that frustration, I began organizing those "gathering dust" research papers and posting them on platforms like Brunch story and Tistory. Then, something strange happened: readers began responding enthusiastically to the very information that was meant to be forgotten in a corporate drawer. In writing, the hardest part is often enduring the uncertainty of whether anyone will actually read your work. I got through that period simply by being driven by the sheer satisfaction of the craft itself. To be honest, I still don't fully understand why so many people resonate with my writing. I’m just grateful for the warmth that is exchanged when the depth of my ordinary reflections touches someone else’s heart. The biggest turning point in my journey was moving beyond analyzing international cases to conducting my own interviews. When I relied solely on overseas articles, I was left with mere speculation. By meeting founders face-to-face, I could ask deep, tenacious questions. I still remember the trembling in my fingertips when I sent out my first interview proposal. Once we sat down, I couldn't stop. "Why that specific problem?" "Exactly how did you feel in that moment?" If an answer was vague, I dug deeper. I worried I might be overstepping, but surprisingly, many founders thanked me. They told me my questions helped them redefine their own business models. As Walter Benjamin said, "Language is not just a medium for communicating thought, but a process for shaping the form of thought itself."  Through these interviews and the act of writing, I finally felt I was encountering the true substance of my ideas. It wasn't just Q&A; it was a shared journey toward an answer, and it became my most valuable form of learning. Even now, the fuel for my writing remains that same "regret." I write because it’s a waste to let research be discarded; it’s a waste to let insights fade; and it’s a waste to leave a founder's true heart unheard. Fixing that regret into words has become a lighthouse for others in the dark—and for me, a new lens through which to read the world. Q. As an interviewer, what is your secret to drawing out deep inner thoughts and genuine insights from your subjects? If I have a unique skill, it isn’t flamboyant eloquence; it is a relentless curiosity, meticulous preparation, and a fierce, singular focus on the person in front of me. Before meeting an interviewee, I trace every footprint they’ve left in the world. I comb through their websites and articles, of course, but I also dive deep into past interviews, videos, and social media posts. My goal is to avoid the predictable and pull out stories from the depths. For instance, if I anticipate a formal answer like "We aim for customer-centric service," I won’t ask a generic question. Instead, I might say, "You’ve emphasized that in previous interviews, but when was the moment that decision caused the most intense internal pushback?" The moment a question that sharp is posed, the interviewee's eyes change. Once they are certain that I’ve "done my homework," they stop reciting PR scripts and start sharing their true narrative. However, even more important than the questions is the "calibration"  during the interview. I am highly sensitive to the specific words they choose and where their voice gains strength or grows quiet. If they say, "It was really tough back then," I immediately fold up my prepared script. I follow up on the spot: "What kind of toughness was it? Was it the capital, or was it the people?" This makes them pause. Then, they say, "Actually..." and the real story begins. Attending a Startup Demo Day (2018) If a subject responds abstractly, I ask for a concrete example. Conversely, if they only list examples, I ask for the underlying principle that connects them. I strive to read the texture of a single word. A person who says they "succeeded" and a person who says they "survived" have walked two completely different paths. Stephen Covey, the master of self-development and management consulting, once said, "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."  While many interviewers close their ears because they are busy thinking about the next question, I listen entirely to understand. By keeping my questions brief and my listening deep, I see it as my role to help the interviewee encounter truths about themselves that they might not have even discovered yet. Ultimately, a great interview is the byproduct of a "tense rapport"  achieved through deep understanding. I love the vivid process of taking the raw insights salvaged from that understanding and shaping them into a warm, resonant story that readers can connect with. Q. Out of all the startup founders you’ve interviewed, who stands out the most in your memory? Many have inspired me, but the stories that truly touch the depths of my heart are never the flashy tales of success. Instead, they are the accounts of their most desperate "lean years"—the times they spent in the trenches of survival. I remember interviewing Yang Jun-young, the CEO of Kinolights. As he recalled the agony of his early days, his voice dropped. He confessed, “With tears in my eyes, I had to carry out layoffs, and in the end, I even had to resort to private loans.” The moment the words “private loans” hung in the air, a chill ran down my spine. It was the moment I understood—not just intellectually, but with my whole heart—that entrepreneurship isn't just about selling an idea; it’s about betting your entire life. Another founder once posed a question to me: “Do you know when the hardest moment is? It’s not when your bank balance hits zero.” He fell silent for a moment, the ghost of a harrowing past flickering in his eyes. “The most painful thing is when the colleagues you shared dreams with all night—the ones who vowed to change the world with you—leave one by one. You can endure having no money, but when the world of trust you built collapses... that’s something else.” The silence following those words was heavy with an immense sense of emptiness and loneliness. Strangely, when I organize my interview notes, the "victories of numbers"—like revenue figures or investment rounds—tend to evaporate quickly. Instead, the stories of enduring the most vulnerable and fragile moments remain, burned into my memory like a brand. I suspect it’s because the raw emotions—the desperation of taking a high-risk loan, the betrayal of a departing colleague, and the courage to rise again regardless—become deeply ingrained in me through empathy. This is why I always tell founders: "Tell me your story of survival, flavored with sorrow and joy, rather than a perfect story of growth. That is what truly proves your character." Those who initially hesitate, fearing they are exposing their weaknesses, often tell me after pouring their hearts out, “I finally feel relieved, like I’ve told my real story.” Readers feel the same way. Flawless success only breeds envy or distant admiration, but the narrative of a fallen person finding the strength to stand back up creates deep empathy and profound comfort. Life sometimes scratches us and leaves us depleted, but paradoxically, I believe people are reborn at their strongest in those very broken places. That is why I love asking founders about their most painful moments. It is through those cracked, scarred openings that a person’s unique, original light truly begins to shine. Q. After interviewing so many founders, you suddenly shifted your focus to Venture Capitalists (VCs) and even wrote a book about them. Was there a specific reason you sought to document the inner thoughts of these often-mysterious figures? This project began with a humble desire to level the "uneven playing field"  between investors and entrepreneurs. What I noticed while interviewing founders was a stark information asymmetry: investors walk into meetings knowing everything about a founder’s business model and background, but founders often stand at the "judgment seat" without knowing anything about the person or the philosophy of the partner sitting across from them. To bridge this gap, I met with twelve Venture Capitalists to capture their authentic voices. The world of VC remains a mystery to the public, often veiled in secrecy. Through this record, I wanted to shatter common misconceptions and prejudices. I aimed to shine a light on the human struggles and passions hidden behind the cold image of the "ruthless judge," and to highlight the vital role they play in sustaining the startup ecosystem. Meeting with Lead Investment Manager Jangwon Byun after the publication of "People Who Invest in the 1% Possibility" (2025) While conducting these interviews, I realized that the VC world is as full of human elements as it is of logical calculations. As Daniel Kahneman’s research suggests, our decisions are ultimately heavily influenced by intuition and emotion. Seeing their records of failure and the emptiness hidden behind flashy success stories—and witnessing their genuine efforts to ensure that even when an investment fails, people and experience remain—gave me the conviction I needed for this project. Ultimately, this book is a raw, on-the-ground record of people chasing a 1% glimmer of hope. It is not just a manual on investment techniques; it captures the essence of business—how to manage risk and make decisions amidst uncertainty, and how to draw massive success from a tiny possibility. I hope this record serves as a reliable guide for entrepreneurs and a window for the public to understand the front lines of innovation. Q. How did you come to join Sweet-bio, and what was your role there? My connection with Sweet-bio traces back four years to "COMEUP," an event hosted by the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development. When CEO Jong-min Oh learned of my background at Nestlé while we were exchanging business cards, his reaction was quite intense. He expressed deep admiration, stating that "Nestlé is the ultimate role model that Sweet-bio aspires to emulate." That meeting was far from a one-time encounter. Later, I wrote about Sweet Bio’s founding narrative for the Dong-A Business Review (DBR) , which allowed us to explore each other’s philosophies deeply as interviewer and interviewee. Built upon that long-standing trust, the company's business needs and my personal timing reached perfect resonance last year, leading to my decision to join the team. Upon my appointment, my mission was clear: to redesign the strategy and marketing framework from the ground up. Over the course of a year, I expanded a one-person operation into a strategic division of fifteen. My focus was on transplanting the advanced processes of a global corporation into the agile framework of a startup. I boldly stripped away inertial meetings and completely overhauled the organizational culture, ensuring that "execution" became the default setting over mere "deliberation." This ripple of change was validated by remarkable numbers, fueled by the dedication of the marketing team. Revenue from our D2C mall and Smart Store grew by 700% in a short period. We showcased our market presence through collaborations with leading brands like Artisée, Gong Cha, and Haitai Confectionery. In particular, Marketing Team Leader Yuri Lee, with whom I have worked since my Nestlé Korea days, was the cornerstone of this team-building effort. Leveraging her expertise in home shopping, our first broadcast—led by her and the sales team—achieved a record-breaking sell-out of 110,000 units in just 28 minutes. Thanks to her constant efforts to stay in sync with my vision, we were able to create the ultimate synergy. With members of the Strategic Marketing Division (Clockwise: In-hu Cho (Head of Division), Seung-won Park (D2C Manager), Hee-jung Noh (Direct Store Manager), Jin-kyung Park (CX Manager), Hyo-sun Han (Product Planning Manager), Ji-yoon Yoon (Marketing Manager), Yuri Lee (Marketing Team Leader)) (2025) These dazzling metrics are not my doing; they are the fruits of labor from team members who executed their tasks far more brilliantly than I could have. I simply trusted them entirely and delegated authority boldly. I believe the essence of a leader is not to be a player on the field, but to be the "architect of the environment." My top priority was to create the fertile soil where the potential of each member wouldn't go to waste but instead explode to its maximum, and to clear the path so they could move forward without hesitation. Management scholar Peter Drucker defined management as "the art of getting things done through people."  In that arena of art, meeting team members who responded to my delegation with such overwhelming results is the greatest pride of my career. This translation captures your journey from a hands-on leader to a mentor who cultivates loyalty through radical trust and character-focused recruitment. Q. After joining Sweet-bio as the Head of Strategic Marketing, you built a team of fifteen from scratch within a year and maintained an incredibly low turnover rate. Could you share your team-building strategy and leadership philosophy? The beginning and end of team building lie in "hiring the right people and taking full responsibility for them until the end." I value character and growth potential far more than a flashy resume. I remember hiring the manager who eventually led our D2C revenue to 700% growth. There were many candidates with more impressive backgrounds, but I offered them the position because of their attitude immediately after the interview: they asked me for direct feedback on their weaknesses. That courage to stare down their own shortcomings and face uncomfortable truths gave me all the conviction I needed. Practical skills can be taught, but that kind of character is rare and difficult to learn. In response to the trust I placed in them, they delivered overwhelming results, and we developed a deep sense of mutual gratitude that went beyond being mere colleagues. Introducing the brand to customers at the Hyundai Department Store pop-up in Apgujeong (2025) I believe leadership is surprisingly simple. Its essence is for the leader to move first and create an environment where the team feels safe to run. Rather than standing back and observing, I want to be on the front lines with my team. I personally carried boxes and served customers at our pop-up stores. I believe you must feel the pulse of the field yourself to make the most accurate and responsible decisions when the team faces a problem. When rebuilding the organization, I put the most effort into increasing the "density of trust." When I first arrived, the cynicism from the Design Team Leader was beyond imagination. When I suggested we prove our capabilities externally by winning a design award, he scoffed with a cold, indifferent reaction. However, I saw the heavy sense of responsibility and the pride in his skills hidden behind that stubbornness. I knew that trust built through difficulty is the hardest to break, so I never gave up and continued to offer my support and interest. To broaden his perspective, I personally arranged a meeting with the design team of "Living Crafts" (Saenghwal Gongjakso), a brand that had swept global design awards. At the same time, I constantly stimulated his professional pride as a designer, telling him, "If it's to protect our brand philosophy, we must be willing to endure any friction." The result of that process was our "Brand Guidebook." Recently, other companies we collaborated with were stunned by the sheer level of detail in that guidebook. Ultimately, his cynicism transformed into the most fervent conviction. Appointing him as the official Team Leader when the design team was formalized was my way of showing sincere respect for his potential. When I shared the news of my departure recently, his expression of deep regret was the clearest evidence that I had successfully drawn out his latent talent. Fear only makes people submit, but sincere trust makes them move on their own. I believe that a solid bond built this way is the most powerful axis that sustains an organization. Q. From Finance to Marketing, and from global corporations to startups—your career path has been unconventional, to say the least. While a hiring manager might view such a non-linear trajectory with skepticism, what is the underlying necessity that ties these experiences together? From an HR perspective, my resume might look like one they’d want to avoid—it shows a lot of significant shifts. I suppose I wasn’t destined for a "comfortable" corporate life. Even at Nestlé, where I stayed the longest, I went through six completely different roles in just six and a half years. I once asked my CEO, "Why do you always turn to me whenever a new mission comes up?" His answer was clear: "Because whenever a new opportunity or a complex problem arises, you are the first person I think of. I have total confidence that you won't say no and that you will break through any obstacle." Hearing that made me realize he was right. I have never once said "it can’t be done" to a mission I was given. Perhaps the CEO saw me more clearly than I saw myself back then—he understood that I’m the type of person who gains energy only by constantly challenging myself and consuming new experiences. With former CEO of Nestlé Korea, Erwan Vilfeu (left) (2016) If you ask me whether all these paths were part of a pre-planned strategy, my answer is "no." I was simply being true to my primal instinct of curiosity. I find assembling a "smooth" resume for show to be incredibly tedious; instead, I genuinely enjoy the grueling process of deriving my own answers in unfamiliar territories. Some might look at my history of not "digging a single well" with concern. However, I believe it is far more like me to plan and execute the future than to look back at the past with regret. The sharp numerical sense of Finance, the strategic vision of Marketing, and the flexible adaptability I’ve gained by navigating diverse industries have become a unique, one-of-a-kind arsenal that only I possess. Though it hasn't been a planned, straight line, this winding trajectory has become the most multi-dimensional and powerful narrative proving my professional expertise. Q. Do you have a specific know-how for balancing your primary career with your activities as a writer? People often ask for a "secret," but for me, my primary career isn't an obstacle to writing—it is my most fertile source of inspiration. It’s on the front lines—leading organizations, persuading stakeholders, and engaging in intense collaborations—where countless thoughts and insights intersect. If I only sat behind a desk, I would have run out of stories long ago. The process of organizing my experiences into writing is a form of "purging" for me. Once I pour out the tangled thoughts in my head onto the page, I create space to fill with new experiences. Within this infinite cycle, I am constantly thinking about how to improve. I know all too well that if my thoughts stop, my growth stops—and my writing will naturally cease as well. This is why I strive never to remain stationary. I am convinced that I grow stronger only when I continuously expose myself to new challenges and trials, throwing myself into unfamiliar environments. As long as I keep moving, there is always another story waiting to be told. Of course, time is always scarce and energy has its limits. Nevertheless, I believe that if I don’t constantly discipline myself, I cannot properly fulfill my role as either a leader or a writer. I want to live my life learning and colliding with reality on the ground until my very last breath. Documenting the traces of a life lived that intensely—that is my only secret to balancing my career and my craft. Q. You are now leaving the familiar behind to challenge a new horizon. What are your plans and ultimate goals for the future? Paradoxically, I decided to leave Sweet Bio because all the metrics were absolutely perfect. With the shift to profitability, steep revenue growth, and a solidified brand, everything was cruising on a stable trajectory. But as the system grew more rigid, my entrepreneurial instincts began to ring an alarm. Rather than discussing the efficiency of optimization within an already completed structure, I realized I needed the adrenaline of drawing a new blueprint on a blank canvas once again. I finally truly understand the intent behind CEO Jong-min Oh’s earlier invitation when he said, "I want to meet you as founder to founder." Perhaps he saw the untamable entrepreneurial wildness hidden inside me even before I did. Attending the 2025 Greece Food Expo (From left: Gwang-se Lim (Head of R&D), Jong-min Oh (CEO), Inhoo Cho (Head of Strategic Marketing)) After deeply reviewing several options recently, my conclusion is clear: I am at my most effective, and my choices are most regret-free, when I take the helm and forge my own path. Using that conviction as a springboard, I plan to enter a completely different industry this year—one I haven't experienced before. With the global market as my stage, where domestic and international boundaries disappear, I intend to challenge myself with the work I do best and have longed to do most. To that end, I am currently fully focused on exploring the next steps for this new stage. I am meeting with stakeholders in unfamiliar territories, debating with them, learning their language, and essentially starting again from the bottom. Beyond just acquiring information, I am investing the most effort into digging into the essence of this new field and reinterpreting it through my own lens. As long as my career continues, I want to keep learning, colliding, and remaining flexible and agile. My essence lies in surpassing limits and expanding my territory rather than settling for past achievements. This time I’m spending now, laying the foundation in an unfamiliar domain, is not a period of wandering—it is an inevitable preparation for a broader market. I believe this journey of forging a path where no "right answer" exists will be the most certain engine to keep me awake and driven.

Bokeun Kang: The People-Centered Growth Story of Zespri Korea's Managing Director "Do you know why there are no Korean CEOs at global companies? It's because they don't dream it." This single remark from an American English instructor shook Kang Bokeun, Managing Director of Zespri Korea. Starting as a sales rep in Busan, he achieved top performance for four consecutive years, experienced a painful failure at Nestlé within a year, and then spent seven years at Zespri growing a 100 billion won company into a 300 billion won enterprise. Now, he dreams of becoming the first Korean CEO of a global company. His path has been anything but ordinary. Though coming from sales, he obtained certifications in positive psychology and professional interviewing, and says, "If I weren't in sales, I'd want to be in HR." After becoming managing director, he prioritized restoring psychological safety in the organization over sales targets, and still runs a weekly "tea time" where employees share gratitude with one another. His management philosophy is simple yet powerful: "Company growth comes from individual growth." With this belief, he achieved 3x revenue growth over seven years. A leader who invests in people, leads by example in personal growth, and challenges himself daily toward bigger dreams. Discover the story of "people-centered growth" that Managing Director Kang Bokeun is proving real. Q. You achieved top performance for four consecutive years at Kellogg's Busan branch. How was that possible? If you trace the roots of diligence back, you'll find my father. He was a blue-collar worker who loved to drink, but in my entire life, I never once saw him wake up late the next day after drinking. That image somehow lodged itself in my subconscious. Thanks to that, I had perfect attendance for all 12 years from elementary through high school, and people around me often described me as "sincere" and "diligent." As those descriptions accumulated, diligence became part of my identity. So if you ask me how I define diligence, it's simple: having a sense of responsibility for what you're assigned and seeing it through to the end. In sales, there are times when you get brutally criticized for poor performance. Every time, I thought, "I need to be confident." When someone asks, "Why aren't you hitting your numbers?" you should be able to confidently say, "If anyone thinks they can do better than me, come and try." That confidence comes from being more certain about your role than anyone else, and that ultimately stems from diligence. Let me give you a specific example. When I was selling in Busan, my territory was western Gyeongnam—covering Gimhae, Changwon, and Masan. One day, I was making my rounds through Jinju and Changwon, and needed to hit a client in Gimhae last. Then it started pouring in Changwon. I had an appointment, but it was a situation where no one would blame me for not going. In fact, if I'd just called and said, "It's raining too hard, let's meet next time," they would've said, "No problem, get home safely." But I always went. Strangely enough, something good always happened when I went on those days. "Put in whatever orders you want today," or "You're short on your monthly target, right? Fill it here." After a couple of experiences like that, my choice at those decision points where I could slack off was always the same. Good results followed, and it helped my career, so there was no reason to hesitate. Those things accumulated into four consecutive years of top performance. Q. Your performance was strong—why did you leave? Right after graduating from college, I joined Kellogg's Busan branch. The first time I saw the head office sales director come down, I was shocked. He had a team of secretaries and sales support staff following him, everything was perfectly prepared—it looked incredible. I'd been there less than a year, but I thought, "If I'm going to work, I need to get at least to that level." But after working for 2-3 years, reality set in. No matter how well I performed at the Busan branch, there was a ceiling to reaching executive level or sales director. I thought I needed to go to the Seoul headquarters for more opportunities. As it happened, there was an opening for a Key Account Manager position at headquarters—a core role managing major retailers like E-Mart and Lotte Mart. I thought, "This is it," and applied. A few days later, the answer came back: "No." When I asked why, they said, "You're too young." This position required directly dealing with buyers from major retailers like E-Mart and Lotte Mart, and managing sales reps in their 40s. They judged that someone in their early 30s like me lacked the experience and age for it. In that moment, it became clear: "There's no more opportunity for me here." Without regret, I decided to switch jobs and moved to Reckitt Benckiser's Seoul headquarters. Reckitt Benckiser was a completely different world. At the Busan branch, I might see a headquarters sales executive once every three months, and briefly at that. At Seoul headquarters, I worked in the same office every day. I could see how he thought and made judgments, what questions he asked, how he led meetings and made decisions—I could learn all of it right beside him. That became decisive in my growth. Q. You left Nestlé after just one year. What happened? My experience at Nestlé remains the biggest failure of my career. At the time, the company atmosphere was such that when numbers weren't met, all responsibility fell on the sales team. "If you didn't hit your targets, the sales team needs to figure it out," "Somehow push more product"—that sort of thing. I thought that was unreasonable. So when trying something new, I made decisions and moved forward alone without consulting other departments. I pushed ahead with what the sales team wanted without coordinating with marketing, finance, and SCM team leaders. Naturally, it was hard to get cooperation. There was a defining incident. At the end of the month, marketing called. "The e-commerce manager couldn't sell our product in a client meeting—as sales director, what are you going to do about it?" I bristled and responded, "If our sales rep can't sell it, why don't you go try selling it yourself?" Looking back, it was the worst response. The company thought, "If numbers aren't met, sales must solve it no matter what," and I pushed back head-on saying, "That's unfair." Communication completely broke down, and cooperation even more so. I left the company after just over a year, taking responsibility for poor performance. I learned something important from this failure: In an organization, believing you're right alone isn't enough. No matter how justified your argument, if you can't move forward with other departments, you ultimately fail. I learned that painfully. This lesson became my greatest asset at Zespri. Q. What was the first thing you wanted to change at Zespri? The organization's mindset. At monthly meetings with distributors, I kept hearing the same thing: "Managing Director, there's no demand in the market." Every time, I felt frustrated. "Anyone can sell when the market is good. Our real role isn't selling kiwis where demand exists—it's creating that demand ourselves." Even now, if the same situation arises, I say the same thing: Demand isn't something you wait for, it's something you create. But to create demand, we needed to read the market quickly. When I first arrived, sales data only came in once a month. You can't respond to anything with month-old data. "Let's change to weekly." Pushback poured in. "Why are you increasing our workload?" I explained patiently: "Fresh fruit loses marketability in just a week. If we find out a month later, it's already too late. If we know this week what sizes sold or didn't sell last week, we can request supply adjustments from New Zealand headquarters, plan promotions with retailers, and create demand." About a year later, the response changed: "This method is much better." Now even weekly feels slow, so we're transitioning to daily. I went a step further. We started tracking sales by size. Again, "Why get that granular?" came the response, but this time persuasion was much easier. "If large sizes aren't selling, we can request New Zealand headquarters to switch to smaller sizes. Supplying what consumers want is the essence of demand creation." The important thing is that over 2-3 years, I proved these changes ultimately benefited not just my numbers but distributors, retailers, and headquarters alike. Actually, I have a principle called 'walk the talk.' It became even more strict after the Nestlé failure. "Only make promises you can keep." You see people around you who make promises easily and don't keep them, right? I tried not to be that person. As that principle accumulated, trust formed. Now when I propose something new, the first response is "Let's try it." Q. The results of your first employee engagement survey after becoming managing director are noteworthy. The organizational diagnosis results were shocking. It was the lowest score in several years, and psychological safety scores in particular had hit rock bottom. A similar pattern emerged in the team assimilation workshop I conducted right after assuming the role as the new leader. Employees were anxious. In that moment, I thought, "No matter what sales targets I set in this state, it's pointless." So I decided: Let's restore psychological safety before sales targets. I adopted something as a principle. Something the LEGO CEO said that really resonated with me: "I won't hold you accountable for poor performance. But I will hold you accountable for not asking for help." This was exactly why I failed at Nestlé. Performance can suffer because the market is tough and competition is fierce. There's a lot you can't control alone. But if you keep problems to yourself and don't ask other departments for help, that's a completely different issue. All it takes is going and saying, "Please help." Once walls start forming between departments, the team, the whole company, collapses. Everyone only looks after their own department, and meetings turn into fights about "Who messed up?" and "Whose responsibility is this?" I saw that scene often when I was in sales at other companies. Sales, marketing, SCM, and finance would always clash when they met. So I emphasized this point strongly. The moment I see signs of walls forming between departments, I immediately catch it and call those team leaders together. "If we continue like this, the organization is at risk," I tell them clearly. Then I create time to have genuinely honest conversations over lunch. It took time, but the culture changed. Now when we meet, we discuss solutions, not assign blame. Even when sales, marketing, SCM, and finance gather, very constructive dialogue flows. Once psychological safety was established, something amazing happened. Employees started fully unleashing their capabilities. They didn't shrink back from watching their backs, they freely shared new ideas, and when problems arose, they honestly communicated them. That ultimately led to double-digit growth. Q. You come from sales but seem particularly interested in HR. Is there a special reason? Aren't people everything? Looking back at my experience, the answer is clear. I'm the same person, yet sometimes I performed at 120-130% of my capacity, and other times only 70-80%. When I was doing things reluctantly or had zero motivation. What made the difference? Ultimately, it was the people around me. Whether I had someone who challenged me at the right time, supported me when needed, and boosted my motivation made all the difference. Here's what I realized: Going from 70% to 130% nearly doubles your performance. Think about this applied not just to me but to the entire team. Our company could go from 10 billion to 20 billion scale, or conversely shrink to 5 billion. That's why I observe people a lot, invest in them heavily, spare no support. I keep studying too. If someone asks, "If you weren't in sales, where would you want to go?" I used to say marketing, but now I say HR. I'm convinced that how HR designs the organization completely changes the entire company's performance. That's also why I studied positive psychology. I believe people's mindset and psychological state directly connect to company results. Actually, various research data backs this up. That's why I still run "Tea Time" every Wednesday—time to express gratitude to each other. I'm convinced these small things unconsciously affect the organization's overall performance. The professional interviewer certification came from a different kind of urgency. As I conducted more interviews, I grew increasingly anxious. Hiring the wrong person is really dangerous. Like the saying goes about bringing the wrong daughter-in-law into the family ruins it, one wrong employee can shake the entire organization. The problem was this: I felt I could evaluate functional aspects like sales or marketing capabilities, but how do you judge someone's attitude, growth desire, organizational fit? The more interviews I conducted, the more these fears grew: "Am I properly evaluating this person's real mindset?" "What if this person is an interview expert?" So I participated in a professional recruitment interviewer program. I systematically learned how to ask questions, how to gauge the real impact of achievements candidates describe, things like that. Jim Collins said in "Good to Great": "Get the right people on the bus, and you don't need to worry about where that bus is going." Hiring is that important, and going through that process gave me much more confidence in my judgment. Ultimately, the synergy of both certifications is clear. Using positive psychology to build a healthy organizational culture and ensure psychological safety, while simultaneously using professional interviewer capabilities to select the right people who fit that culture. When these two mesh and operate together, the organization becomes truly strong. Q. What's the most important criterion when making decisions? "What direction allows all stakeholders to grow together?" At the center of that, naturally, must be the consumer. That's the core criterion of my decision-making. I always think 10 years ahead. What will the kiwi market look like in 10 years? Right now, kiwi's market share in the total fruit market is only 2.5%. When that becomes 5%, then 10%, I think about what benefits everyone receives. What's important here is the intrinsic value of kiwis as fruit. The vitamin C in 100g of kiwi is much higher than 100g of tangerines or oranges. Even eating the same amount of fruit, eating kiwi makes you healthier and you catch fewer colds. So when we grow, it's not simply that Zespri makes more money. It means Korean people, people around the world, become healthier. That's our reason for existing. I share this perspective at every meeting. I always put our purpose on the first slide. Whatever decision we're making, we judge based on "Does this align with our purpose?" and "Does this benefit consumers, distributors, retailers, employees, and New Zealand headquarters?" If you only focus on short-term sales, there are many easy choices. Push more volume immediately, cut prices, reduce marketing costs, and this quarter's performance might look good. But I always ask: "Will this decision still be the right decision 10 years from now?" If it's a direction where all stakeholders can grow together long-term, I choose that path even if it's a bit difficult short-term. That's my decision-making criterion. Q. You doubled sales volume over 7 years, turning a 100 billion won company into roughly a 300 billion won company. What do you see as the secret? Ultimately, I think it's because our reason for existing was clear. Zespri isn't simply a company that sells kiwis. We're a company that makes people healthier. This clear purpose and the values that flow from it became the foundation of all decision-making, and that ultimately led to good growth. But there's something else I consider important here. The conviction that "company growth drives individual growth." So I constantly emphasize growth, and I challenge myself first. Specifically, I made a promise to employees: We'll hold 8 insight sessions per year. I book all 8 on the calendar at the start of the year, and each time I read a book and debrief it for employees. Recently we read books like 'Extraordinary Challenge' together. Why do this? I want to directly show them my efforts to grow. The message is "I'm also continuously learning. Let's grow together." Not just saying "grow" with words, but I believe showing my practice first naturally influences them. One-on-one meetings are the same. I don't just talk about performance or work—I always ask questions like: "What are you doing for self-development these days?" "What have you learned recently?" "What are you preparing for your next career goal?" These conversations have become habitual. Not just words—I've actually budgeted training costs separately. For each person to spend on their own growth. Some employees prepare for MBAs, others take digital marketing courses, still others receive leadership coaching. As these efforts accumulated, a 'growth mindset' took root across the organization. A culture emerged of continuously challenging yourself and trying to learn new things. As individuals grew, better services and products emerged, which in turn led to company growth. Ultimately, what we pursue as sustainable management is this: We have a clear purpose that our products actually make people healthier, and to realize that purpose, employees continuously grow. When these two mesh, a virtuous cycle naturally forms. Being able to grow a 100 billion won company into a 300 billion won one over 7 years—the answer ultimately lay here. Clearly knowing why we exist and everyone growing together toward that purpose. We directly proved that when individuals grow, organizations grow too. Q. You emphasize growth to employees—what self-development are you doing yourself? What I feel I lack most is communication ability. I felt it desperately watching my previous Zespri CEO. He was exceptionally skilled at communication. That impressed me so much that I would always read his emails out loud and try to follow his style. I set him as a role model and tried to learn. But my current boss (Asia-Pacific regional director) saw it differently. "BK, that's not what you're good at—why focus on that? You have your strengths, and he has his." But my thinking is a bit different. The essence of leadership is ultimately a game of how much you influence people around you and create change, right? Someone good at communication can move an organization with a 5-minute speech. But for me to create the same change, I need to prepare for an hour. That's clearly a deficiency. So I'm making various efforts to improve my communication ability. For example, I'm participating in a 5-year program at a place called "Health Humanities." It's a course where you graduate after reading 100 classics—I'm assigned to present and suffer through the preparation. Even if I don't finish the whole book, I at least go and sit, listen to professors' lectures, and learn while preparing presentations. Honestly, it's not easy each time. Every weekend morning I think, "Why am I doing this to myself?" but after finishing, I think, "I'm glad I did it." These are the efforts I'm making to become a better leader, a better communicator. Q. What's your next goal? When people ask, I say, "I want to become CEO of a global company." Actually, whether I become CEO or not isn't important. When I started as a sales rep, my career goal was sales director. I already exceeded that goal. But after achieving it, a strange emptiness came. I'd reached the summit I'd long dreamed of, but the view from there was more subdued than expected. Like I couldn't see the next mountain. So I set a new goal: "I'll become CEO of a global company." Whether it happens or not isn't really important. After setting that goal, that tension of challenging myself returned. There was a defining moment. I was taking English lessons, and one day the American instructor suddenly asked: "BK, do you know how many Korean CEOs of global companies there are?" "Well, probably not many." "Almost none. Why do you think that is? The Korean people I've seen living here over 10 years—they're really smart and incredibly hardworking. So why are there no global CEOs?" I couldn't answer. Then the teacher gave me the answer: "I think there's just one reason: They don't dream it. Why don't they dream that dream?" In that moment, I felt like I'd been hit in the head. This thought suddenly came: If 25 years ago when I started as a sales rep, I'd worked at Seoul headquarters instead of Busan? If the first person I saw wasn't a sales director but a global CEO of a foreign company? Maybe my life would be tracing a slightly different trajectory by now. The height of the first role model I saw ultimately determined the height of my dreams. If I'd dreamed of being Coca-Cola's CEO back then, while I'm satisfied with my life now, the shape would certainly be different. I realized then that the size of your dream creates the size of your life. So I think even now isn't too late, and when people ask, I proudly say, "I want to become CEO of a global company." If this materializes, the meaning goes beyond me personally. A Busan branch sales rep becoming CEO of a global company—that journey itself sends a powerful message to young Koreans. "Your starting point doesn't matter," "You can become a leader on the world stage even starting from the provinces." Proving that possibility—that's what I truly want.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our lives, and marketing is no exception. At the HUNET CEO Forum "Foresight Korea 2025," LG U+ Executive Director Kim Tae-hoon delivered an insightful presentation on "AI Marketing New Trends 2025," exploring AI's impact on marketing and how businesses should prepare for the future. Let's examine the marketing trends of the AI era and how companies can strategically respond. AI: Knowing What Customers Want Before They Do AI and machine learning technologies are revolutionizing personalized marketing. The era of rule-based personalization is over. Advanced AI predictive modeling not only accurately understands customer needs but also predicts and suggests latent desires that customers themselves haven't yet recognized. "Most customers are unaware of their potential needs," explained Executive Director Kim. AI-based predictive modeling captures these latent desires and transforms them into memorable customer experiences. For instance, when AI predicts a customer's likelihood of purchasing baby formula, targeted advertising reaches them immediately. This capability far surpasses traditional rule-based systems. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒBusiness Storyteller The 2022 Salesforce "State of Marketing" report reveals a notable shift: the percentage of marketers using AI surged from 29% in 2018 to 68% in 2022. LG U+'s experimental results are equally impressive, with AI-based predictive modeling boosting ad click-through rates by up to 38%. These results demonstrate AI's profound ability to analyze customer data and develop effective personalized marketing strategies. Creating $200,000 Ads for One-Third the Cost: How AI is Transforming Production LG U+'s pioneering use of AI in advertising production is reshaping industry standards. Starting with their first attempts in 2023, they've continued to evolve their AI advertising capabilities in 2024, capturing market attention. The most striking change is the maximization of production efficiency. After implementing AI, advertising production costs and time have been reduced to just one-third of previous levels. For example, projects that once required $200,000 and three months to complete can now be finished much faster and more economically using AI. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒBusiness Storyteller AI isn't just improving efficiency - it's entering creative territories. In fact, LG U+'s AI-powered advertisements garnered 13 million views, generating enthusiastic audience responses. Accenture's 2021 research supports this trend, finding that 84% of companies that adopted AI gained a competitive advantage, largely because AI automation of routine tasks allows creators to focus on higher-value creative activities. However, human creativity and judgment remain crucial for successful AI implementation. While AI is a powerful tool, industry consensus holds that human expertise and insight are essential for its effective utilization. Consumers and AI: The New Content Creation Partnership AI technology is completely transforming the content creation paradigm. The UCC (User Created Content) era is giving way to the UACC (User and AI Co-Created Content) era. The age of UACC - "User and AI Co-Created Content" - is rapidly approaching. Recently, a viral Volvo car advertisement and GTA-style gaming footage created by an individual using AI demonstrated UACC's unlimited potential. Volvo commercial created by a user with AI IDC's 2021 report presents an even more striking forecast, predicting the global AI market will reach $500 billion by 2024. This highlights how rapidly AI technology is permeating across industries. These changes bring new challenges and opportunities. Companies must now provide platforms and tools that enable customers to create creative content alongside AI. This will expand brand experiences and strengthen customer relationships. Global Brands That Said No to AI While AI technology holds revolutionary potential, its implementation requires careful consideration. The cases of Lego and Dove demonstrate the crucial importance of finding harmony between AI technology and brand identity. AI used Lego images Lego completely halted its use of AI after determining that AI-generated images were damaging their brand identity. This decision was accelerated by strong consumer backlash against AI-produced content, with critics arguing that it had lost the quintessential Lego creativity and warmth. This vividly illustrates the potential clash between core corporate values and AI technology. Similarly, Dove boldly rejected AI technology, stating, "We won't use anything unrealistic in depicting beauty." These cases send a clear message: AI technology shouldn't be adopted indiscriminately just because it's trendy. Companies must carefully examine their brand values and identity when implementing AI technology. AI adoption goes beyond mere technological application. It's deeply connected to a company's strategy, culture, and human resources. Therefore, when adopting AI technology, companies must comprehensively consider various aspects including brand value, corporate culture, and talent development. This balanced approach is essential for sustainable growth and maintaining competitiveness in the AI era. Strategic wisdom is more crucial than ever - maximizing AI technology's potential while preserving the company's unique values and identity. How Can Marketers Survive in the AI Era? AI technology's advancement is fundamentally changing the role of marketers. Now, marketers must go beyond simply using technology; they need to develop skills that harmoniously blend AI and human creativity. The key is effectively expressing corporate identity through AI technology while producing superior results. LG U+'s case proves this vividly. During the process of generating and reviewing 200,000 advertising frames using AI, it became clear that human curation and refinement of AI-created content was crucial. Rather than merely relying on AI, human judgment determined the final quality of the output. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒBusiness Storyteller Marketers must effectively utilize AI tools while maintaining brand essence and authentic customer communication. Additionally, their role in reviewing and filtering AI-generated content will become increasingly important. LinkedIn's 2023 "Jobs on the Rise" report highlights interesting changes. AI and machine learning specialists, data scientists, and digital marketing experts are among the fastest-growing job categories. This clearly shows new challenges and opportunities opening up for professionals, including marketers. Five Recommendations for Successful AI Marketing Executive Director Kim's presentation provides crucial insights into the future direction of marketing in the AI era. He presents the following key strategies: Be cautious of indiscriminate AI adoption; consider the company's actual needs and readiness level Leaders must improve their understanding of AI technology and make strategic decisions Accurate predictive modeling and personalization strategies based on customer data are essential Prepare for the UACC era by providing platforms where customers can create creative content with AI Maintain harmonious integration between brand identity and AI technology utilization "AI trends are not absolute." This single statement encapsulates everything. Only careful AI adoption tailored to a company's situation leads to success. AI is not a magic wand but a powerful tool, and how it's utilized will determine a company's success or failure. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒBusiness Storyteller The conclusion is clear. Marketing in the AI era must achieve harmony between technological innovation and human creativity. Companies must effectively utilize AI technology while not losing sight of their brand essence and authentic customer communication. To become a winner in an AI-driven marketing environment, one must find the balance between technology and humanity. This requires strategic wisdom that goes beyond simple technology adoption, weaving together corporate core values and AI's potential into a unified strategy.

AI technology is evolving at the speed of light. The emergence of generative AI, in particular, demands more than just technological innovation—it requires fundamental changes in management strategies and business models. We are entering an era of transformation comparable to how the Industrial Revolution completely transformed the artisanal society. How should companies respond to this era of transformation? A lecture by Oh Soon-young, former head of KB Bank's Financial AI Center, at the HUNET CEO Forum 'Foresight Korea 2025' provides clear answers to this question. His presentation outlines the new business landscape that AI will create and details the strategies companies need to survive and thrive in this new world. We now stand at the peak of AI's massive wave. Will we ride this wave into the future, or will we be swept away by it? Through Oh Soon-young's insightful lecture, we can find answers to this question. AI: Moving Beyond Science Fiction Imagine robots helping with housework, AI assistants understanding and responding to your words and actions, and smart devices monitoring your health in real-time. Just a few years ago, these scenes were distant future stories found only in science fiction movies. But now, they're becoming reality. AI is no longer just a data processor. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒinhoocho.com The emergence of 'spatial intelligence' means that AI can now understand and interact with our three-dimensional world. When you say "make the lighting brighter" in your living room, AI doesn't just execute the command—it considers the current time, external weather, and your activities to adjust to the most appropriate brightness. This is the power of spatial intelligence. Even more remarkable is that humanoid robots are on the horizon. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang predicts practical humanoid robots will emerge within 2-3 years. This isn't mere speculation—companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla are already accelerating their human-form robot development. Soon, we'll see robots working alongside humans in factories, hospitals, and even homes. AI in Action: Real-World Transformations These changes aren't limited to specific industries. The financial sector is already at the forefront of the AI revolution. Morgan Stanley's case vividly shows how AI can innovate business. Their AI assistant has evolved beyond a simple chatbot—it analyzes complex financial data to create investment reports, responds to customer inquiries at an expert level, and even suggests personalized investment strategies. Morgan Stanley Debrief Perhaps most interesting is Morgan Stanley's 'Debrief' system. Can you imagine automatically recording and summarizing over a million meetings annually? Previously, this required significant time from high-level personnel. Now freed from these repetitive tasks, they can focus on more creative and strategic work. This represents a revolutionary change in optimizing human resources beyond simple efficiency improvements. Nike's case demonstrates AI's potential in creative domains. Nike uses AI to design and develop products based on athlete data. According to Oh Soon-young, this process has reduced product design development from months to just hours. Specifically, Nike inputs various data into their AI system, including athletes' movements, physical measurements, and performance data. The AI analyzes this data to suggest optimal designs. For example, it can generate customized shoe designs by analyzing a specific athlete's foot shape and running patterns. ⓒNike This goes beyond simple task automation. AI can generate and evaluate thousands of design options instantly and might suggest innovative ideas that human designers haven't considered. This allows designers to focus on more creative aspects of their work. Strategic Approach to AI Adoption AI adoption isn't simply about implementing new technology—it's a major strategic decision. Oh Soon-young presents key strategies for AI adoption: Clear Goal Setting: A vague notion that "AI might be good to have" isn't enough. Companies need to clearly define what problems they want to solve and what effects they expect. This becomes an important criterion in determining necessary resources and personnel. Data Preparation: AI grows on data. Without sufficient quality data, AI cannot function properly. He advises companies to check if they have the necessary internal data and, if not, start preparing it now. He also emphasizes the importance of converting historical data into AI-readable formats. Establishing Collaborative Structures: AI projects aren't just for the technology team. They require cooperation between various departments, including business units, IT infrastructure teams, and data scientists. Business unit participation is particularly crucial—their knowledge and experience must be reflected in the AI system to create truly useful solutions. Start with Pilot Projects: Don't try to implement on a large scale from the beginning. Start with smaller projects to verify effectiveness and increase organizational acceptance. Since each company's environment is different, going through the process of direct testing and verification is necessary. Building AI Governance: Companies need to establish ethical and legal guidelines for AI use and ensure transparency and accountability in AI decision-making. The AI governance team should be separate from AI-related organizations, positioned similarly to an audit organization. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒinhoocho.com Real-World Challenges in AI Implementation Anyone who has attempted to implement AI solutions in the field will deeply empathize with the concerns and difficulties mentioned by Oh Soon-young. "Shouldn't we implement AI now?" Projects that start with this simple question from management often face numerous obstacles. Field practitioners are well aware of how many challenges arise: executives hesitating before investment decisions, middle managers questioning "Do we really need to go this far?" and staff worrying "Won't this just create more work?" These concerns are far from trivial. Cost optimization is a hot topic for many companies. Questions flood in: "How much will AI implementation cost?", "When can we expect to see results?", "What about our existing systems?" While it's easy to say ROI should be thoroughly evaluated, making large-scale investments in unproven technology is never simple. Hunet CEO Forum "Foresight Korea", ⓒinhoocho.com Talent acquisition and development is another major challenge. Companies grapple with questions like "Where can we find AI experts?" and "Will our employees know how to use this?" Companies are engaged in fierce competition to recruit the few available AI experts while simultaneously wrestling with how to enhance existing employees' capabilities. Integration with legacy systems is a headache for many companies. "How do we change a system we've used for over 10 years?", "How do we handle data compatibility?" How can you harmoniously integrate systems and data built up over years with new AI systems? This is a complex challenge that demands not just technical solutions but organizational culture changes. Building New Competitive Advantages What creates competitive advantage in the AI era? Oh Soon-young offers an unexpected answer: UI/UX. While AI technology's performance is important, the key lies in how easily and conveniently users can interact with it. Another crucial point is the importance of AI literacy. This goes beyond technical ability to use AI—it's about understanding AI's possibilities and limitations and being able to utilize it effectively. This AI literacy will become a core competency for both companies and individuals in the future. The introduction of AI will inevitably bring changes to work environments and job functions. However, this doesn't simply mean job losses. Rather, it's an opportunity to focus on more creative and valuable work by moving away from repetitive tasks. Preparing for the AI Future The key is preparing for these changes. Companies need to invest in employee retraining and job reassignment. They also need to improve employee perceptions of AI. It's important to create an organizational culture where AI is seen as a helpful partner rather than a threat. AI is no longer optional—it's essential. However, successful AI adoption depends not on the technology itself but on how it's utilized and managed. Oh Soon-young's lecture provides both a big picture of the changes AI will bring and a practical roadmap for how companies should respond to these changes. Moving forward, companies need to recognize AI not just as a tool but as a core element of a new business paradigm, and build appropriate strategies and organizational cultures accordingly. To become winners in the AI era, companies need technical preparation, organizational transformation, and, most importantly, learning how to work alongside AI. This is the core message Oh Soon-young aims to convey.

Panel Review from Invest Korea Summit 2024 The Invest Korea Summit 2024 featured a notable panel discussion that brought together executives from leading global companies operating in South Korea. Moderated by Hwy-Chang Moon , president of the aSSIST University, the panel explored two critical themes: the technological breakthrough centered on AI and semiconductors, and the impact of global geopolitical tensions on investment strategies. Hwy-Chang Moon (President of aSSIST University) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com Panel Composition and Background The discussion featured five distinguished panelists representing diverse industries: Denish Ramanathan (onsemi) - Semiconductor Manufacturing Young-Suk Lee (ASM Korea) - Semiconductor Equipment Kwang-Seuk Kim (HP Printing Korea) - Printing Technology Dylan Jones (Boeing Korea) - Aerospace René Fáber (Sartorius Stedim Biotech) - Biotechnology Theme 1: Technological Breakthrough and AI Integration The panel highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming traditional industries in Korea. Let's break down how each sector is embracing and adapting to this technological revolution. Semiconductor Industry Perspective: Powering the AI Revolution To understand the semiconductor industry's role, imagine it as the foundation of all modern technology. Just as electricity needs power plants and transmission lines to reach our homes, AI systems need specialized chips and power management systems to function. Onsemi's Power Solutions Denish Ramanathan explained their company's role through an everyday example: When you plug your laptop charger into a wall socket, you're converting AC power (from the wall) to DC power (for your device) This same principle applies to massive AI data centers, but at a much larger scale Onsemi creates the specialized chips that manage these power conversions efficiently Their recent investments in South Korea and the Czech Republic are like building local power plants to ensure reliable energy supply, but for the digital age Denish Ramanathan (Vice President of Corporate Strategy, onsemi) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com They've invested over a billion dollars in their Korean facility because: Companies want their suppliers nearby (imagine having your power plant in another country) The pandemic showed the risks of depending on distant suppliers Korea's expertise in semiconductor manufacturing makes it an ideal location ASM Korea's Manufacturing Innovation ASM Korea represents the next layer of the industry - they make the machines that make the chips. Think of them as the company that builds the equipment for a high-tech factory. Their representative explained how AI is changing their business: Traditional chips are like regular highways; AI needs superhighways These "superhighways" require more sophisticated manufacturing tools New materials are needed, similar to how modern bridges use advanced materials instead of just steel and concrete This creates a network of specialized suppliers and manufacturers Young-Suk Lee (Representative Director, ASM Korea) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com How Different Industries Are Using AI Printing Industry Revolution (HP) HP's transformation shows how AI is making everyday office equipment smarter: Traditional printers just created paper copies Modern AI-enabled printers can: Understand what they're scanning (like recognizing if it's an invoice or a contract) Automatically organize documents based on content Suggest where to store files Predict when maintenance is needed Optimize print quality based on document type Think of it as upgrading from a basic camera to a smartphone that can recognize faces, enhance photos, and organize your photo library automatically. Kwang-Seuk Kim (Representative Director, HP Printing Korea) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com Aerospace Innovation (Boeing) Boeing's journey with AI shows how the technology is making flying safer and more efficient: Historical Context: 1964: Pioneered computer graphics for design 1982: Started first industrial AI research Today: Using AI across all operations Their current AI applications include: Predictive Maintenance: Like having a doctor constantly monitoring a patient's vital signs Modern aircraft generate terabytes of data during flights AI analyzes this data to predict when parts need replacement This prevents unexpected failures and reduces maintenance costs Design Optimization: Traditional design: Engineers test one design at a time AI-powered design: Computers can simulate thousands of designs simultaneously Result: Safer, more efficient aircraft developed more quickly Dylan Jones, (Director, Technology Research Institute, Boeing Korea) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com Biotechnology Breakthroughs (Sartorius) The pharmaceutical industry is using AI to revolutionize drug development: Traditional Drug Development: Takes 10 years on average Costs up to $2 billion Requires testing hundreds of candidates to find one successful drug AI-Enhanced Drug Development: Computers can simulate drug interactions before physical testing Patient data analysis helps predict which drugs will work best Manufacturing processes are optimized through AI monitoring Result: Potentially faster, cheaper drug development with higher success rates Real-World Impact: Sartorius is installing AI-based process control tools in their Korean facilities These tools monitor and adjust manufacturing conditions automatically Like having a master chef who can adjust cooking conditions perfectly every time René Fáber (CEO, Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Sartorius) at IKS 2024, ⓒinhoocho.com The Bigger Picture This technological transformation isn't just about making existing processes faster - it's about fundamentally changing how industries operate. Korea's strength lies in its ability to: Provide the technical expertise needed for these transformations Offer advanced manufacturing capabilities Foster collaboration between different industries Support innovation through government policies and infrastructure Companies are choosing Korea as an AI and technology hub because it offers: A deep pool of technical talent Strong digital infrastructure A robust ecosystem of suppliers and partners Government support for technological advancement Theme 2: Global Tensions and Strategic Investment The panel tackled one of today's most pressing business challenges: how companies navigate international tensions, particularly between the United States and China, and why South Korea has emerged as a strategic solution for many global businesses. Understanding the Global Context Current Global Challenges Think of the global business landscape like a complex chess game where companies must carefully consider every move: US-China Tensions: Similar to two major stores competing for customers, the US and China are competing for technological and economic dominance Supply Chain Concerns: The pandemic showed how risky it is to "keep all eggs in one basket" New Business Terms Everyone's Talking About: Decoupling: Companies moving operations away from China Reshoring: Bringing manufacturing back to home countries Friend-shoring: Moving operations to politically friendly countries Why Companies Are Rethinking Their Locations Companies are asking three key questions: Risk Management: "How can we make our operations more stable?" Market Access: "Where can we sell our products easily?" Technology Access: "Where can we develop and protect our innovations?" Korea's Strategic Position: The Safe Harbor in a Storm Why Korea Stands Out Imagine Korea as a well-equipped port in a stormy sea, offering several advantages: 1. Manufacturing Excellence Advanced Facilities: Like having state-of-the-art kitchens in a restaurant Modern factories with the latest technology Skilled workforce who knows how to use advanced equipment Fast adaptation to new manufacturing methods Speed and Quality: Known for quick setup of new facilities High-quality production standards Strong attention to detail 2. Strategic Geography Korea's location is like being at the perfect crossroads: Close enough to major Asian markets Far enough from geopolitical tensions Excellent shipping and air connections Modern digital infrastructure 3. Government Support The Korean government acts like a helpful business partner: Offers tax benefits for foreign companies Provides grants for new investments Creates special economic zones Supports workforce training Real Examples from Global Companies Sartorius (Biotechnology) Their experience shows why Korea works: Started as a small operation Now has their largest global manufacturing facility in Korea Uses Korea as a hub to serve all of Asia Benefits from: Skilled workers High-quality manufacturing Strong innovation capabilities Government support for biotechnology Boeing (Aerospace) 75 years in Korea tells a story of successful partnership: Growth from small beginnings to 200+ employees Research center expansion: Started with 30 people Grew to 100+ engineers in just two years Focus on cutting-edge technology Local Partnerships: Works with traditional aerospace companies Collaborates with tech giants like Samsung and SK Connects with innovative startups What Makes Companies Choose Korea? The panel identified four main reasons companies invest in Korea, like choosing a new home based on different needs: 1. Resource Advantages Access to skilled workers Advanced technology infrastructure Strong supplier networks Research capabilities 2. Market Benefits Growing domestic market Gateway to other Asian markets Strong consumer base Testing ground for new products 3. Efficiency Gains High-quality manufacturing Fast production times Reliable infrastructure Skilled workforce 4. Strategic Benefits Political stability Strong intellectual property protection Government support Innovation ecosystem Conclusion The panel discussion revealed South Korea's evolving position as a key global investment destination, particularly in high-technology sectors. The country's strength lies in its combination of advanced manufacturing capabilities, strong talent pool, supportive government policies, and strategic geographic position. As global companies navigate technological breakthroughs and geopolitical tensions, Korea's role as a stable, innovative hub for both manufacturing and R&D continues to grow in importance. The insights from these industry leaders suggest that Korea's investment environment is particularly attractive for companies seeking to: Develop and implement AI technologies Establish regional manufacturing and R&D hubs Access skilled talent in technology sectors Build resilient supply chains in Asia Participate in Korea's growing innovation ecosystem This comprehensive view from global industry leaders provides valuable insights into why Korea continues to attract significant foreign investment despite global economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions.

Erwan Vilfeu, President of Global Branded Business Unit at Thai Union Erwan Vilfeu, President of Global Branded Business Unit at Thai Union "Stay ahead of the airplane" — this principle that pilots hold most dear perfectly encapsulates the management philosophy of a seasoned global executive who transformed from an Airbus engineer into a business leader. His journey began with studying aeronautical engineering at Airbus, then training with Air France to become an airline pilot. After completing pilot training—and being grounded following September 11—he chose to remain in business, having discovered a passion for marketing. He's kept his pilot's license current, making him one of the few executives who actually pilots aircraft. An engineer who once worked with machines and systems transformed into a marketer dealing with people and emotions. He led innovative transformations in global children's beverage strategy at Nestlé and revived Nestlé Korea from crisis through a premiumization strategy that broke away from conventional competitive approaches. Currently serving as President of Global Branded Business Unit at Thai Union, he leads iconic seafood brands including Chicken of the Sea, John West, King Oscar, and Petit Navire. His distinctive insights stem from his philosophy of "being in the field" and his "Stay Ahead of the Airplane" approach, coordinating complex stakeholders from finance to manufacturing to innovation centers. He holds special significance for me personally—as CEO of Nestlé Korea during my tenure there, he provided the opportunity for my marketing transition and served as the best boss I've ever experienced. I witnessed firsthand how his leadership philosophy translated into actual business results. This interview explores how aviation experience influenced business leadership and practical strategies in complex global business environments. 1. What led you to transition from working as an engineer at Airbus, a multinational aviation company, to becoming a marketer at Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company? The move was completely unplanned. I started as an aeronautical engineer at Airbus and trained as a pilot, but when the opportunity at Nestlé came, I discovered something I hadn’t expected: the shift from working with machines to working with people. Engineering is about technical precision within complex systems, but in marketing, success depends on deeply understanding consumers — their motivations, needs, and aspirations. That human dimension, with all its complexity, is what made the field so compelling to me. What surprised me was how much my aerospace background became a strength. Aviation has a simple rule: there are no small mistakes. A single error can have catastrophic consequences. I’ve carried that same discipline into marketing, where one misstep in brand positioning or communication can take years to recover from. Similarly, managing an aircraft program — with suppliers, regulators, and global teams — taught me how to orchestrate large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects, a skill that translates directly to running global campaigns. Erwan Vilfeu Perhaps the deepest link is systems thinking. In aircraft design, one small change cascades through the entire system. Marketing is no different: a pricing adjustment impacts brand perception, distribution, and promotional strategy. Anticipating those chain reactions became my strongest analytical tool. Ultimately, both fields are built on trust . In aviation, passengers entrust their lives to the systems we design; in marketing, consumers entrust us with their families’ nutrition and wellbeing. The scale is different, but the responsibility is just as serious. And on a personal note: looking back, I’ve moved across very different fields in my career — from engineering to marketing, from food to healthcare and back — and each time I’ve succeeded because I was doing something I loved. My advice to young people starting out is simple: if you approach your work with passion and genuine curiosity, and if you truly enjoy what you do, success will follow. Passion is the most powerful driver of performance. 2. As one of the few executives who actually pilot aircraft, how have principles learned from flying influenced your business approach? The most powerful lesson from aviation is the idea of “staying ahead of the airplane.”  In flying, if you are only reacting to events after they happen, you quickly lose control. The same applies in business: leaders who manage only today’s issues inevitably fall behind. The real discipline is anticipating what’s coming — whether it’s customer expectations, market shifts, or competitive moves — and preparing before challenges fully materialize. Another principle I’ve carried over is the aviation mantra: “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.”  It’s a simple hierarchy of priorities — fly the plane first, then figure out where you’re going, then talk about it. In business, that translates into focusing on what truly matters: keep the organization stable, chart the strategic course, and only then communicate widely. Too often leaders reverse the order, talking first without ensuring clarity or control. Finally, flying teaches rigorous workload management. Pilots prepare extensively on the ground so that when complex situations arise, they can focus only on flying. I approach leadership the same way — systematizing routine management tasks and building resilient processes so that, when crises or strategic inflection points arrive, I can devote my full attention to the decisions that matter most. In both the cockpit and the boardroom, success comes from anticipation, discipline, and clarity of focus. 3. Having built your early career across three markets—France, the US, and Italy—what was most interesting about these seemingly similar Western markets? At first glance, France, the US, and Italy may appear culturally close, but in food marketing even subtle differences become decisive. What struck me most was how deeply consumption habits reflect broader cultural rhythms—around family, work, and social life. For example, breakfast in these three countries isn’t just a different meal; it embodies a different philosophy of daily life. For me, the lesson was clear: local nuance cannot be an afterthought. Campaigns weren’t simply translated or adjusted — in each market we often had to redefine the entire value proposition. In France, consumers valued convenience and refinement; in Italy, quality and tradition carried more weight; while in the US, nutrition and family togetherness were decisive. Over time, what became even more fascinating was how digitalization and globalization layered new commonalities over these differences. A wellness-focused millennial in New York and one in Milan may share similar values, routines, and brand expectations, even though their cultural contexts remain distinct. This creates both opportunity and complexity: brands must speak to global lifestyle clusters without losing local authenticity. The balance I have adopted is simple but powerful: protect universal brand promises — quality, trust, innovation — but tailor how they are expressed in each cultural context. The most successful campaigns feel simultaneously global and inevitable locally. They clearly belong to the worldwide brand family, yet consumers feel they could only have been created for them. 4. While overseeing global children’s beverage strategy at Nestlé headquarters in Switzerland, what led you to shift away from directly targeting children in marketing? At the time, the children’s beverage market was essentially flat. Competing harder within the same old model — colorful products directly targeted at kids — would not have created growth. We needed a step change. The shift we made was deliberate and forward-looking: moving from child-targeted advertising to a strategy centered on parents and nutrition. We reformulated products to strengthen their nutritional profile, and we reshaped communications to focus on family routines, balanced breakfasts, and the benefits that matter most to parents — growth, energy, and peace of mind. This required a complete transformation of how we worked. Marketing teams who had built careers on kid-focused campaigns had to be retrained. Media investment shifted from children’s channels to parent-focused platforms. Partnerships moved away from entertainment companies toward nutritionists and health experts. It was a significant change, but it was the only way to create new momentum. The result was decisive. Not only did we return the business to growth — we achieved double-digit increases after years of stagnation — but we also established us as one of the first companies in the category to talk seriously about nutrition, long before it became industry standard. The broader lesson is that leadership often means stepping out of the comfort zone of existing practices. Sometimes growth doesn’t come from fighting harder in a flat market, but from redefining the terms of the game. Source: Nestlé Global 5. Your experience managing the entire coffee value chain across 22 African countries provided a rare integrated perspective. How did you transform complex operations into compelling consumer stories? Coffee is not just a product; it’s a chain of livelihoods. When I took on the African business, the challenge was clear: farmers were struggling, youth were abandoning agriculture, and the long-term viability of supply was at risk. The easy response would have been to diversify suppliers or hedge risk. Instead, we chose to invest directly in the value chain — farmer training, sustainable practices, better income models, and closer integration from crop to consumer. This gave us something priceless: authenticity. Consumers are increasingly skeptical of generic sustainability claims. But when you can show real progress — traceability down to communities, measurable improvements in farmer incomes, tangible environmental impact — the story resonates because it’s true. The broader leadership insight is that supply chain strategy is brand strategy. Transparency only creates advantages if it’s backed by real operational change. And paradoxically, by improving farmer livelihoods, we not only strengthened the story we told consumers — we improved quality, stabilized supply, and delivered stronger financial performance. Purpose and profit worked in unison. Source: Nestlé Global 6. When you took over Nestlé Korea and broke away from conventional competitive approaches by quickly identifying three opportunity areas, where did your confidence come from that premiumization would work in a difficult market environment? Korea was one of the toughest markets I’ve faced: saturated, hyper-competitive, and dominated by local players with lower cost structures. Competing head-to-head on price would have been a race to the bottom. Instead, we looked for where our global capabilities could create unique value. What we found was an emerging consumer polarization. Price-sensitive segments were more demanding than ever, but at the same time, a growing group was willing to pay a premium for genuine quality, innovation, and nutrition. That was the white space. So we shifted the battlefield. Premiumization wasn’t about simply charging more — it was about offering lifestyle upgrades, superior ingredients, trusted nutrition, and innovative retail experiences. By leaning into our strengths and focusing on consumers willing to pay for value, we carved out sustainable growth while competitors stayed trapped in mainstream battles. The lesson is clear: in crisis situations, leaders must resist the reflex to lower prices and chase volume. Differentiation almost always trumps commoditization. Winning comes from choosing battlegrounds where you can lead, not fighting on grounds where you can only survive. 7. Leading large-scale organizational change while managing stakeholder resistance requires complex people management skills. Do you have a framework for creating consensus around difficult changes while maintaining team morale and organizational trust? Change is never just about strategy; it’s always about people. The first step is radical transparency — ensuring everyone understands why change is necessary. Not as blame, but as shared reality. People can accept tough measures if they understand the logic behind them. Second, you have to involve them in designing the solutions. I always set up cross-functional groups so that change is co-created, not imposed. This transforms resistance into ownership. Third, balance honesty with optimism. Acknowledge the difficulty, but also paint a credible path forward. Small early wins are crucial — they turn skepticism into cautious hope, and hope into momentum. The bigger principle is that leaders must carry two responsibilities at once: being brutally honest about the challenge, and deeply committed to their people’s ability to overcome it. Done well, you don’t just deliver a transformation — you build a more resilient, more collaborative organization ready for the next one. 8. Your journey from FMCG to healthcare and back to FMCG provided unique insights as a marketer. How did you experience the limitations of purely rational, evidence-based marketing? Healthcare is an extraordinary discipline because everything rests on evidence, precision, and trust. But it also showed me the limits of pure rationality. You can prove efficacy and safety, but you cannot build desire or emotional connection in the same way as in consumer goods. That rigor, however, shaped me profoundly. I learned the discipline of accuracy, accountability, and the weight of responsibility when claims affect lives. When I returned to FMCG, I brought that discipline with me — ensuring that even our most creative, emotional campaigns are grounded in truth. What I rediscovered — and missed — in FMCG was the complexity of human behavior: culture, aspirations, family dynamics, identity. That’s what makes consumer marketing endlessly energizing. The lesson is this: the best marketing combines both worlds — the scientific rigor of healthcare with the creative storytelling of FMCG. That balance builds both trust and connection. 9. As a business leader, how do you expect your marketing team to present performance—not just today’s numbers, but also how we are winning with consumers and preparing for the future? At the end of the day, every number in marketing must answer one question: are we becoming more relevant to consumers? That’s the lens I expect my teams to apply when they present to me or to the board. First, I want clarity and a compelling narrative. A presentation should never feel like a data dump. It should tell a strategic story: where we are heading, why it matters, and how marketing is powering our journey. The numbers then support that story, not the other way around. Second, I expect consumer impact to be at the center. Don’t just show activities or spend — show how consumer preference, loyalty, and engagement are shifting. Market share and ROI are important, but only because they reflect whether consumers are choosing us more often, staying with us longer, and advocating for us more strongly. Third, I look for a balance of discipline and vision. Discipline means tying marketing actions to measurable business outcomes — share gains, brand health, lifetime value, ROI. Vision means showing how innovation — whether through new products, digital platforms, or AI-driven personalization — is keeping us ahead of evolving consumer needs and behaviors. Fourth, I want context, simplicity, and courage. A number without context doesn’t inspire. I expect comparisons against competitors, against our own targets, or against trends. And I want reports to be clear and jargon-free, so that even the most complex marketing activity is translated into business language. Most importantly, I want honesty. Tell me not only where we are winning, but where consumers are signaling we must do better. That courage to face reality builds trust and drives agility. Finally, I expect a bridge to the future. Reports should conclude with where consumers are heading, what gaps we are closing, and how we are building the capabilities to win tomorrow. Marketing’s role is not only to explain today but to light the path forward. When performance is presented this way — consumer-first, accountable, and forward-looking — it ceases to be a cost line to justify. It becomes a growth engine and an innovation driver, keeping the company anchored in today’s reality while pulling it toward tomorrow’s opportunities. Erwan Vilfeu 10. Managing decades-old iconic seafood brands across multiple markets requires balancing heritage respect with operational efficiency. How do you capture portfolio synergies without diluting the unique value each brand holds for specific consumer segments? Managing a portfolio of iconic brands is both a privilege and a responsibility. Each brand has decades of equity and emotional connection. The temptation in large portfolios is to standardize too much for efficiency, but if you do, you erode the very uniqueness that makes each brand valuable. The key is to separate what must be shared from what must be preserved. Behind the scenes, we harmonize standards in nutrition, sustainability, and quality — these are foundations that strengthen every brand. But at the consumer level, we protect each brand’s voice and heritage. John West speaks about everyday trust, King Oscar about craftsmanship and oceans, Petit Navire about French culinary tradition. This balance allows us to leverage scale without losing our soul. The broader leadership lesson is this: efficiency should serve brand equity, never compromise it. 11. Your "being in the field" philosophy suggests that important strategic turning points came from field observations rather than data analysis. Can you share a specific example where field insights fundamentally overturned assumptions? For me, the most important lesson as a leader is that strategy doesn’t start in the boardroom — it starts in the field. I first learned this in Africa, where data alone could never capture the full reality of fast-changing markets. Talking directly to farmers, retailers, or consumers often revealed insights that turned our assumptions upside down. That conviction has stayed with me. Whether in Africa, Asia, or Europe, I make it a point to meet shoppers in stores, sit with frontline teams, and listen to colleagues across functions. These conversations are not just about “hearing complaints”; they are the richest source of innovation and organizational improvement. Often, the best ideas for efficiency, new products, or better ways of working come not from consultants or reports, but from people on the ground who see issues and opportunities first-hand. Even today, I see the same pattern: the most effective strategies are those rooted in lived reality. Data tells you what happened; field interactions tell you why it happened and what can happen next. As leaders, we can only make our organizations more efficient, more innovative, and more resilient if we stay close to the people who make things happen — inside and outside the company. 12. From cockpit to boardroom —having navigated multiple economic crises and industry upheavals while continuously reinventing yourself—how do you distinguish between changes worth adapting to and passing trends? The pace of change today is relentless, and not every signal deserves the same response. Over time, I’ve developed a simple filter: is this change reshaping fundamental consumer behavior, economics, or the way business is done? If yes, then it’s not a trend — it’s a transformation. That’s how I saw social media early on, and that’s how I view AI now. But the deeper truth is this: no leader, and no organization, can perfectly predict the future. What matters most is building the capacity to adapt. Staying close to consumers, testing and learning quickly, and not being afraid to fail fast — those are the capabilities that allow a business to thrive no matter what disruption comes next. My career has taken me from aircraft systems to food and nutrition, from healthcare to global brands. The industries have changed, the tools have changed, but the fundamentals haven’t: understand people, solve real problems, and create lasting value. If you do that consistently — and remain humble enough to keep learning — you can navigate through any turbulence. Erwan Vilfeu