Samsung Electronics said on the 25th that through its 2026 regular executive appointments it carried out regular personnel changes for a total of 161 people, including executive vice presidents, senior vice presidents, fellows, and masters. The number rose sharply compared with last year, when 137 people were promoted.
Samsung Electronics promoted a total of 161 people: 51 executive vice presidents, 93 senior vice presidents, one fellow, and 16 masters. Compared with last year, when 137 people were promoted, the scale of promotions expanded significantly. Last year, Samsung Electronics promoted 35 executive vice presidents, 92 senior vice presidents, and 10 masters, for a total of 137 promotions, and in 2023 it carried out promotions for a total of 143 people.
Samsung Electronics said it "appointed leaders who will drive future technologies in fields such as AI, robotics, and semiconductors to proactively respond to the rapid changes in industrial paradigms and secure leadership," and "boldly selected young talent who are standing out to accelerate a generational shift, while continuing to cultivate a pool of next-generation executive candidates to break through an uncertain business environment."
Samsung Electronics promoted 26 executive vice presidents in the device experience (DX) division, which handles finished goods businesses, and 25 in the device solutions (DS) division, which handles the semiconductor business. In the DX division, those promoted to executive vice president included Lee Yun-su (50), Head of Team of the Data Intelligence Team at Samsung Research, recognized for producing results in developing data-driven new technologies and business models, and Lee Seong-jin, head of the Language AI Core Technology Development Group in the MX division, who for many years led the development of core technologies for large language model (LLM)-based generative artificial intelligence (AI).
In the DS division, those promoted to executive vice president included Jang Sil-wan (52), head of the Solution Platform Development Team in the Memory Division, who, based on experience in developing server SSD firmware and architecture, has led the development of next-generation solution platforms and the securing of core software and hardware technologies, and Park Bong-il (53), head of the SoC Advanced Development Team in the System LSI Division, a semiconductor design expert.
In this round of appointments, two senior vice presidents in their 30s and five executive vice presidents in their 40s were promoted. Compared with last year (one senior vice president in their 30s and eight executive vice presidents in their 40s were produced), the number was slightly lower. Those named among the senior vice president promotions in their 30s included Kim Cheol-min (39), head of the System Performance Group in the MX Division of the DX division, who contributed to securing device competitiveness by developing solutions for memory optimization and performance improvement, and Lee Kang-uk (39) of the AI Model Team at Samsung Research in the DX division, who led the development of generative AI language and code models.
Samsung Electronics maintained its policy of selecting women and foreign nationals for promotion to build an organizational culture with diversity and to strengthen competitiveness. There are nine new female senior vice presidents in total. The promoted foreign national is one person, Jacob Joo (47), head of the DSC China Sales Team in the DS division.
Samsung Electronics, having completed executive appointments with these personnel changes, plans to soon finalize and announce its organizational restructuring and position appointments.