Samsung appoints new boss after CEO passes away

Samsung's mobile chief TM Roh was appointed to lead the device division, a position left by the late CEO Han Jong-Hee after his death.

Mr. TM Roh. Photo: Bloomberg .

On April 1, Samsung Electronics announced the appointment of TM Roh, Head of Mobile Experience (MX), as Acting Head of Device Experience (DX).

The announcement comes after his predecessor Han Jong-Hee passed away on March 25. Roh will temporarily lead the appliance business until Samsung's board of directors chooses a replacement. The division includes the TV, home appliances and smartphone businesses.

Before his death, Han also served as co-CEO of Samsung, leaving Jun Young-hyun as the sole CEO of the South Korean company, while also leading its struggling semiconductor business.

“Currently, there is no decision on whether to keep the previous co-CEO structure or not,” a Samsung spokesman told Reuters .

Roh, 56, has been head of Samsung's mobile division since 2020. Amid slowing growth and fierce competition, Samsung said he has been "responsible for new smartphone markets," including AI devices and foldable phones.

“Samsung Electronics plans to fill the leadership void at the DX division through this reorganization,” the company said in a press release.

In addition to appointing Roh, Samsung also named Choi Won-joon as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the mobile division. He will also take on his current responsibilities, including head of R&D and global head of mobile operations.

The company also tapped Kim Cheol-gi, formerly the head of marketing strategy for the Mobile Experience division, to lead its digital home appliances business, which includes appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.

According to Bloomberg , this reorganization helps reduce the burden on CEO Jun Young-hyun. Since Mr. Han's sudden death, Jun has become the sole CEO of Samsung. Meanwhile, the Korean company's overall strategy and direction are decided by Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

The leadership shakeup comes at a crucial time as Samsung tries to compete with SK Hynix, which supplies AI memory chips to major customers like Nvidia. In the mobile space, Samsung is also battling Apple and Chinese companies to maintain its market leadership.

Source: https://znews.vn/samsung-bo-nhiem-sep-la-ma-quen-post1542558.html