Yuhan-Kimberly has named Lee Jay-hoon, former head of Korean discount chain Homeplus, as its new chief executive officer, the company announced Wednesday.
According to the sanitary product manufacturer, Lee brings three decades of leadership experience in the retail and consumer goods industry, having served as CEO of the now-defunct convenience store chain BuytheWay, as well as KFC Korea and the cosmetics firm Carver Korea. Most recently, he led Homeplus as CEO since 2021.
Having studied business administration at Yonsei University and earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Lee began his career at PepsiCo, the US-based multinational food and beverage corporation.
"I am honored to join Yuhan-Kimberly, a company that leads in product innovation and ESG management, guided by its vision of taking action for life, health and the global environment,” Lee said. “I look forward to building a successful future through collaborative efforts with employees and business partners.”
In a corporate letter, Yuhan Corcporation and Kimberly-Clark, the joint venture partners behind Yuhan-Kimberly since its establishment in 1970, pledged unwavering support for the new leadership, emphasizing that this commitment, combined with the company's core strengths, will drive future growth.
Lee’s appointment is scheduled for confirmation at a shareholder meeting in March. Until then, incumbent CEO Chin Jae-seung will remain at the helm to ensure a smooth management transition.
Lee's tenure as CEO will begin with visits to the company's facilities, research centers and headquarters to meet with employees, a company official said.
By No Kyung-min (minmin@heraldcorp.com)
