Im Jae-taek, the CEO of Hanyang Securities, said it feels "like sending off a child."
According to Hanyang Securities on the 9th, CEO Im revealed this during a book talk held on the 5th at Choi In-a Bookstore in Gangnam, Seoul. The book talk was conducted in a conversational format with the audience based on his book "Steal, Don't Dream" published last March.
CEO Im noted that he aimed to become a chief executive officer (CEO) since middle school, saying, "I thought everything would be resolved once I became a CEO, but the joy lasted only about three months." He added that "a process of looking back at life and completing it from within is needed even after achievement."
When asked about the secret to leading Hanyang Securities for the past seven years, CEO Im explained using the analogy of "popcorn." He said, "Change never occurs all at once; just as corn kernels pop near the heat plate, a change in one person spreads and eventually moves the whole organization."
Since CEO Im took office, Hanyang Securities' operating profit has grown tenfold. However, the largest shareholder, Hanyang Educational Foundation, has begun the sale process, and last September, it signed a stock purchase agreement (SPA) with KCGI, well known as the "strongman fund."
In January, KCGI applied for a major shareholder eligibility review to acquire Hanyang Securities from financial authorities. The review was temporarily suspended due to a tax investigation of KCGI by the National Tax Service. Recently, as the tax investigation by the National Tax Service concluded without major issues, reports say that the financial authorities have resumed the eligibility review.