Posco named Oh In-hwan, a leading figure in the automotive steel sheet industry, as the chief operating officer of the world’s fourth-largest steel giant, the company said Friday.

The decision was made to separately run the company’s steel business and non-steel segments, including developments of advanced materials such as lithium and magnesium, construction and energy.

It is the first time for the steel giant to appoint a COO. Giving full responsibility to the new COO for the steel business, Posco Chairman Kwon Oh-joon will focus on expanding non-steel businesses, an official said.

The decision was made a week after Kwon assumed his second term as CEO and chairman of the company.

Oh joined Posco in 1981 and built his career as an expert in marketing.

He is recognized as a trailblazer in the steel industry who initiated exports of automotive steel sheets.

The COO took the post as the first head of Posco-CSPC, the company’s first-ever plant designed to produce automotive steel sheets, located in Suzhou, China.

Oh also led operations as an executive director at Posco P&S, a company specializing in manufacturing steel construction materials.

Meanwhile, Han Sung-hee, former Posco-China CEO, was promoted to executive vice president of Posco’s public relations department. 

The company did not reshuffle the heads of its key affiliates, including Posco Daewoo, Posco E&C, Posco Energy, Posco Chemtech and Posco ICT, to wrap up the group restructuring and focus on future growth engines.

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heralcorp)