GS Retail Strengthens Organizational Expertise by Hiring External Digital and Crisis Management Experts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] GS Retail, which absorbed GS Homeshopping last July, will accelerate the creation of merger synergies through next year's regular executive appointments and organizational restructuring.

On the 1st, GS Retail carried out executive appointments for nine people, including two promotions and seven new appointments. Jeong Jae-hyung was promoted to Executive Director and appointed as Head of the Convenience Store Division in the Platform BU, and Joo Yoon-seok was promoted to Executive Director and appointed as Head of the Home Shopping BU Business Support Headquarters.

Organizational restructuring was also implemented to strengthen organizational expertise in response to the rapidly changing distribution market environment from offline to online.

The existing eight sales divisions within the convenience store division of the Platform Business Unit (BU) were reduced to six, and sales within the Super Division were divided into franchise and sales divisions. A separate marketing office was newly established within the Platform BU, and the Quick Commerce Division under the Strategy Headquarters, which promotes new projects, was transferred to the Platform BU.

In the Home Shopping BU, the IT and AI divisions were transferred to the New Tech Headquarters, and the existing TV Home Shopping Division and Content Business Headquarters were integrated.

A GS Retail official explained, "This organizational restructuring focused on strengthening the digital commerce and quick commerce sectors and reinforcing the organizational foundation to expand new customers for each business."

External experts were also recruited as leaders to lead these organizations. Lee Han-na, former Head of Marketing Strategy Headquarters at AK Plaza, is expected to lead the digital commerce business. She is regarded as a new commerce expert who bridges online and offline channels. Kwak Chang-heon, former executive at Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea, was appointed as Head of External Cooperation. Kwak is known as a crisis management expert who responded to the humidifier disinfectant victim incident during his tenure at Oxy.

Yeoh In-chang, who has extensive marketing expertise having served as Samsung Card’s Head of Premium Marketing and ShopBack Korea’s Country Manager, was appointed as CEO of Parnas Hotel, a GS Retail affiliate.

Meanwhile, Jo Yoon-sung, who is currently in charge of the Platform BU, will step down in March next year. The new head of the Platform BU will be Vice President Oh Jin-seok (Head of the Convenience Store Division).