Chair Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group is strengthening on-site, communication-centered management by meeting key affiliate executives and employees in person to share his management philosophy.
According to the business community on the 21st, Lee began in mid-last month with CJ 4D Plex and continued through this month with small-group meetings with executives and employees at key affiliates across the group, including Tving, CJ Logistics, CJ CheilJedang, and CJ Freshway. The meetings are called "Moving Unit," meaning small units within the organization that drive tangible change.
Lee met directly with working-level teams performing specific functions, including the "Maeil One" delivery service team at CJ Logistics, the online-to-offline (O2O) platform organization at CJ Freshway, and the team in charge of PHA (biodegradable bio-based material), a future material at CJ CheilJedang. This is seen as a departure from his past, standardized on-site management that targeted the entire workforce.
The meetings were said to have been held in an informal atmosphere. Lee said, "For this Moving Unit meeting, I'm here to communicate not as the chairman but as 'Lee Jay-hyun,' so please don't address me stiffly." When a CJ CheilJedang employee asked, "How do you manage your health?" Lee answered, "Managing your thoughts is the most important thing. If you think 'I don't want to do it,' anything is hard, but when you genuinely enjoy something, no matter how hard it is, there is no stress."
At the meeting, Lee was quoted as saying, "Creating a healthy, beautiful, and stylish lifestyle will be the next growth engine," adding, "This is a crucial time when we must decisively strengthen our competitiveness, so let's share the vision, start with small successes, and move toward big change."
Lee has often told executives and employees that "the current Korean Wave is a decisive opportunity for K-culture to leap into the global mainstream," repeatedly urging a leap to become global leading corporations. During a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this month, he also said, "We must stake everything on expanding new territories." These domestic affiliate meetings are likewise seen as part of efforts to bolster internal unity to secure global competitiveness. Lee's son, Lee Sun-ho, head of the CJ Future Planning Group, was also said to have accompanied him on the site visits.