[Asia Exclusive] 30 Years of 'Salaryman Myth'... Behind Rapid Promotion Lies Consistent 'Customer Value'

Steady Growth Like Hiking: 'Orem15do Philosophy' Advanced Vision
Focus on Communication Management... Practicing Sustainable Growth with Employees

Lee Beom-gwon, Senior General Manager of Seonjin, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on May 20. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Lee Beom-gwon, the President and CEO of Sajo Group, is a legendary figure in the industry. After joining Sajo in 1988, he was recognized for his abilities early on when he was appointed CEO of the overseas affiliate Sajo Philippines in 1998. After returning to headquarters, he became CEO of Sajo in 2002, just 14 years after joining the company. Even after the acquisition by Harim Group in 2007, he retained his position as CEO with the trust of Chairman Kim Hong-guk, and was promoted to President and CEO in 2009, two years after the acquisition. Having started as a new employee, he has held the long-standing position of professional CEO for nearly 20 years, setting a record as a "salaryman legend."

Behind his rapid promotion lies his consistent management philosophy. President Lee does not obsess over "numbers." Yet, the numbers prove Sajo’s remarkable growth. When President Lee first joined the company, Sajo was just a small farm in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. Starting with pig farming and feed, Sajo expanded its business to cover the entire livestock industry, including meat and meat processing, and has now grown into a leading livestock food specialist company in Korea. Last year, sales reached 1.464 trillion KRW. The company boasts a balanced portfolio with meat business at 387 billion KRW, feed business at 392 billion KRW, pig farming at 205 billion KRW, meat processing at 119 billion KRW, and overseas business at 350 billion KRW. It is also actively operating in the global market. Starting with the Philippines in 1997, Sajo now owns 17 factories across five countries including Vietnam, China, Myanmar, and India, demonstrating its global competitiveness. The total number of employees currently stands at 2,166, with 827 in Korea and 1,339 overseas.

President Lee stated, "Our employees have set a vision to open the era of 3 trillion KRW in sales by 2025, but I do not want to be obsessed with sales," adding, "Enhancing customer value is more important." He continued, "Sajo’s 2020 future vision is 'Orem 15 degrees,'" explaining, "It means not just focusing on unconditional growth but steadily climbing a 15-degree slope like hiking, continuously growing while communicating with customers and creating value through win-win management."

The Orem 15 degrees vision differentiates itself from most corporate slogans that talk about goals or figures to be achieved. It emphasizes prioritizing customer value with an attitude and stance of growing together. The word President Lee emphasized throughout the interview was "win-win." He stressed that Sajo’s mission is "A prosperous world created together," and expressed concern, saying, "With livestock infectious diseases like foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever (ASF occurring almost every year, and with recent declines in dining out and consumption, pork demand has decreased, deepening the worries of livestock farmers." President Lee added, "Although various marketing efforts have recently made Spain’s Iberico and the U.S.’s Duroc popular, the value of the Korean pork brand (Handon) has not been accurately recognized," emphasizing, "We must improve the quality competitiveness of Handon and actively promote it." He reaffirmed his commitment to leading the future development of the livestock industry through win-win management. He envisions moving away from the labor-intensive livestock environment of the past and drawing the future of livestock suited to the Fourth Industrial Revolution era based on ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

President Lee also dedicates himself to communication with employees. Sajo’s representative internal empathy projects include "With Us Pub," where junior employees who have just completed one year of service communicate openly and spend a special day together, and "Lazy Meeting," held for junior managers with five years of service. Additionally, monthly birthday gatherings (lunches) for Seoul office employees and "Golden Lunch" activities where the entire team eats together are also conducted.