As Samsung Electronics carried out its 2026 executive reshuffle, the generational shift was pushed in future businesses such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, as well as in semiconductor businesses such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and foundry (contract chip manufacturing). Although the number of promotions to senior vice president in their 40s and managing director in their 30s slightly decreased from last year, observers say a "young blood" infusion was executed in a pinpoint way to strengthen business competitiveness.
On the 25th, Samsung Electronics said that, in its 2026 regular executive appointments, two managing directors in their 30s and five senior vice presidents in their 40s were promoted. Compared to last year (one managing director in their 30s and eight senior vice presidents in their 40s), the scale of promotions slightly decreased. In the DX division, which is in charge of finished goods businesses at Samsung Electronics, and in Samsung Research, promotions came from AI and robotics. In the DS division, promotions of senior vice presidents in their 40s emerged in HBM, a core business area, and in the foundry business, seen as a weakness.
◇ DX division sees promotions of managing directors in their 30s and senior vice presidents in their 40s in AI and robotics
In the DX division, promotions of executives in their 30s and 40s were concentrated in AI and robotics. Kim Moon-soo (45), head of the software productization development group in the VD division, was promoted to senior vice president in recognition of leading advancement of Tizen, the core operating system (OS) for Samsung Electronics TVs, and contributing to securing AI TV–based technologies. Managing director Lee Kang-woon (39), who made the list of 30-something promotions, belongs to the DX division and is responsible for developing Generative AI language and code models, leading development of foundation models to enhance product differentiation and productivity.
The DX division, which handles finished goods businesses, is pushing a business strategy that applies AI technology across all products, not just smartphones.
In robotics, Kwon Jeong-hyeon (45), Head of Team for robot intelligence at Samsung Research, was promoted to senior vice president in his 40s. Samsung Electronics said Kwon led the securing of key technological competitiveness in the robotics business, including AI-based perception and manipulation. Positioning robots as a next-generation growth engine, Samsung Electronics is accelerating business expansion through strategic investments in robotics corporations and its own research and development (R&D). In Dec. last year, Samsung Electronics exercised a call option to raise its equity stake in Rainbow Robotics, a domestic robotics company, to 35%, becoming the largest shareholder.
◇ DS division promotes a senior vice president in his 40s for "HBM4 development"… also shoring up weaknesses such as foundry
In the DS division, which handles the semiconductor business, promotions of senior vice presidents in their 40s came from the HBM business and from areas considered weaknesses, such as the foundry business and semiconductor defect inspection. Lee Byung-hyeon (48), head of the DRAM PA2 group in the memory division, who led development of 10-nanometer-class sixth-generation (1c) and sixth-generation HBM (HBM4), was promoted to senior vice president. Samsung Electronics, which had lagged in HBM behind competitors SK hynix and Micron, went all-out to regain competitiveness in HBM4, the next battleground. It is analyzed that Lee was promoted for helping the company enter Nvidia's HBM4 supply chain, which accounts for more than 60% of HBM market demand.
Lee Kang-ho (48), head of PA3 team in the foundry division, and Jeong Yong-deok (49), head of MI technology in global manufacturing & infrastructure, were also promoted to senior vice president. Lee led the securing of new foundry technologies such as photonics, while Jeong, an expert in semiconductor metrology and defect inspection, is focusing on strengthening mass-production competitiveness. Observers see this as a move to shore up weaknesses by putting senior vice presidents in their 40s at the forefront of the foundry division, which records multi-trillion-won losses every year, and in the Production yield area that had hobbled the foundry business.
Samsung Electronics said, "We boldly selected managing directors in their 30s and senior vice presidents in their 40s who contributed greatly to management performance and have growth potential, regardless of seniority or rank, strengthening the pool of future management candidates."