Samsung chairman calls for fresh challenge

Group celebrates Lee’s 25-year leadership 

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee pledged Friday to push for another round of innovation at Samsung Group.

“I vowed to create a new history for Samsung. As there are still long ways to go, we have to launch fresh challenges,” he said in a video message delivered to his staff during the group’s ceremony to celebrate Lee’s 25th anniversary as chairman.

“By conducting another innovative mode in the group, let’s contribute to development of the global community with upgraded Samsung products,” he said.

Lee also said Samsung should become an enterprise, which is respected by the people, society, customers and shareholders.

The celebration was followed by an award ceremony for meritorious employees at the Hoam Art Hall in downtown Seoul.

The annual awards, dubbed “Samsung Award of Honor,” was initially planned to be held at Samsung headquarters in southern Seoul, but the venue has changed so that it could occur with the commemoration of Lee.

While the number of award-winners came to 18 this year, they included Samsung Electronics Italy corporation vice president Carlo Barlocco, Samsung Electronics North America senior vice president Joseph Stinziano and Samsung Electronics display unit senior manager Gulshan Saini.

Among the others were Samsung Electronics memory business unit general manager Maeng Kyung-boo and Samsung Engineering petrochemical unit senior director Kim Il-hyun.

Special prize winners included Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs, Sumco CEO Mayuki Hashimo and Samsung Life Insurance financial consultant Ahn Soon-oh.

Most of the Lee family attended the ceremony. Among they were Lee’s wife and the director of the Leeum Samsung Musem of Art Hong Ra-hee, Samsung Electronics chief operating officer and heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong, chairman Lee’s daughter and executive vice president of Cheil Industries Lee Seo-hyun and his daughter and Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Bu-jin.

This year, Samsung Electronics was included on the list of the world’s 10 most valuable brands selected by Interbrand, the world’s leading brand management consultancy.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)