Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group has entered a full-fledged professional management system. Song Young-sook, the wife of the late Lim Sung-ki, the founder of Hanmi Pharmaceutical, has taken over the position of CEO of the holding company, Hanmi Science, while Kim Jae-kyu, former vice president of MERITZ Securities, has succeeded her as a professional manager. This is the first time that Hanmi Science has welcomed a professional manager.
Kim Jae-kyu, the new CEO of Hanmi Science, met with reporters after the conclusion of the '52nd regular general meeting of shareholders' held on the 26th at the Hanmi Pharmaceutical headquarters in Songpa, Seoul, and said, "I believe that there will be both expectations and concerns regarding the professional management system of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group," adding, "First, we will produce results to eliminate concerns, and based on that, we will meet expectations."
On the same day, Hanmi Science's board of directors presented an agenda for the appointment of new director candidates and recommended four candidates for internal directors: Kim Jae-kyu, former vice president; Lim Joo-hyun, the eldest daughter of the founder and vice chair of Hanmi Science and Hanmi Pharmaceutical; Sim Byung-hwa, former executive director at Samsung Biologics; and Kim Sung-hoon, former executive director at Hanmi Science. Three new outside director candidates were also named: Choi Hyun-man, former CEO of Mirae Asset Securities; Kim Young-hoon, former judge of the Seoul High Court; and Shin Yong-sam, a professor at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.
Last year, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group experienced a management rights dispute among the founder's family. After more than a year of dispute, the second son Lim Jong-yoon and his brother Jong-hoon resigned as internal directors and CEOs of Hanmi Science last month, marking a victory for Song Young-sook and Lim Joo-hyun. The group stated that it would transition to a professional management system as a result of the management rights dispute and that major shareholders would provide support from the background.
On that day, the board of directors of Hanmi Science approved the appointment of new director candidates and officially activated the professional management system. Following the former CEO Song Young-sook, former vice president Kim Jae-kyu was appointed as CEO, and Sim Byung-hwa, former executive director, will serve as the chief financial officer (CFO).
Shin Yoo-cheol, chairman of the Hanmi Science board, noted, "The new board of directors has demonstrated top capabilities not only in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry but also in various fields such as management, accounting, and capital markets," adding, "I expect that with the solid support of major shareholders and the board, along with the expertise of the management, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group will be able to soar again."
Earlier, at the Hanmi Pharmaceutical shareholders' meeting, the agenda for the appointment of new director candidates was approved. The Hanmi Pharmaceutical board proposed to appoint Choi In-young, head of the Hanmi Pharmaceutical R&D center, as an internal director; Kim Jae-kyu, former vice president of MERITZ Securities, as an outside director; and Lee Young-gu, a representative lawyer of the law firm Daeryuk Aju, as an outside director.
Choi In-young, an internal director, has worked at Hanmi Pharmaceutical for 27 years and has been instrumental in building a new drug platform and leading global technology exports. Currently, he serves as the head of the R&D center overseeing new drug development. Kim Jae-kyu, an outside director, is a global business expert who has worked at Yuhan Corporation and MERITZ Securities. Hanmi Pharmaceutical stated that it aims to strengthen its competitiveness in new drug and global markets under the leadership of new drug development expert Choi In-young and global business veteran Kim Jae-kyu.
Park Jae-hyun, CEO of Hanmi Pharmaceutical, said, "We have successfully wrapped up last year's tumultuous situation and are looking to start fresh this year," adding, "Last year, we achieved the highest sales in history, generated operating profit at a top level in the country, and the commercialization of treatments for obesity is just around the corner based on our advanced technology."