Samsung reshuffles top executive line-up

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd yesterday named a new head of mobile marketing and a new China chief as part of an executive reshuffle designed to prevent a “fall” in momentum following the arrest of its vice-chairman.

But analysts said the reshuffle looked more like a stop-gap measure rather than an long-term fix as the Apple Inc rival copes with the fallout from the absence of Samsung Group leader Lee Jaeyong.

“It appears that Samsung made the changes at a smallest possible scale in order to ensure that its business operations keep running,” said Park Ju-gun, head of corporate analysis firm CEO Score.

Samsung said executive vicepresident Choi Kyung-sik had been promoted to lead the mobile division’s strategic marketing office as part of a shake-up at the product businesses such as smartphones and televisions. Choi’s predecessor, Lee Sangchul, had been reassigned to oversee Southeast Asian operations.

Kwon Kye-hyun was named head of the China business, where Samsung’s smartphone sales have struggled to regain momentum amid competition from the likes of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Oppo and Vivo.

“Samsung Electronics decided to execute on these appointments in the belief that the organisational metabolism would decline if we delay them any further,” said the company in a statement, adding they would “minimise uncertainties.”

Further executive appointments, including in the cash-cow semiconductor division, would be announced at a later date, a company spokesman said.

The company is expected to deliver record profits this year, on the back of a memory market boom and strong sales of its Galaxy S8 smartphones. Reuters