As securities firms turn to digital as a new growth engine, they are accelerating efforts to secure IT talent. The trend goes beyond digital transformation to improve existing services such as home trading systems (HTS) and is spreading to the recruitment of key personnel who will lead new businesses like artificial intelligence (AI) and tokenized asset.
On the 17th, according to the industry, Next Securities hired 47 new staff for new businesses last year, aiming to build a financial platform that combines AI and content. The platform-type mobile trading system (MTS) the company is preparing is centered on offering services in a single flow, from searching for investment information to transaction, and post-trade management.
In particular, it significantly increased the proportion of tech personnel to strengthen platform capabilities. Among last year's hires, 33 came from tech-based corporations, about six times the number from securities firms (five). The plan is to bring in large numbers of talent from global consumer services and commerce companies such as TikTok, Musinsa, Coupang, and HYBE to transplant into the organization experience in content production, brand communication, and user interface (UI).
In the securities industry, talent recruitment to strengthen digital competitiveness has continued. Early last year, Meritz Securities hired Cho Jae-hyung, former head of the KB Innovation Hub who led digital innovation at KB Financial Group, to speed up improvements to HTS and MTS services. As subscribers rapidly increased under a zero-fee policy and complaints grew about the complex UI, it was a move to boost platform usability.
However, recent talent acquisition is seen as different in that it goes beyond digitizing existing businesses and is directly linked to entering new businesses. The analysis is that securities firms are actively securing AI and data specialists who can implement this as they make the strengthening of the digital asset ecosystem a pillar of future growth.
In this year's New Year's address, Vice Chairmen Kim Mi-seop and Heo Seon-ho of Mirae Asset Securities said they would lead the paradigm shift in the global financial industry where traditional asset and digital asset converge, and the company is putting weight behind recruiting related talent. The company is seeking to hire master's and doctoral-level talent in AI and digital fields with an annual salary offer of 100 million won or more. Centered on these hires, it plans to build a Global Digital Wallet to create a financial environment that encompasses traditional asset and digital asset and expand the tokenization of various asset.
Hanwha Investment & Securities has also moved to secure talent with the goal of transforming into a "digital asset-focused securities firm." It is ramping up related businesses by recruiting digital specialists in front-end, back-end, product managers (PM), and UI/UX, including developing Web3-based tokenized asset (RWA).
An official at a securities firm said, "As securities firms are making digital transformation a driver of new industries this year, they are heating up competition to attract talent," adding, "In the securities industry as well, the importance of tech talent is growing."