Kim Beom-su, Kakao Founder, Resigns as Chairman of Brian Impact... Kim Jeong-ho Appointed as New Chairman

Brian Impact Kim Jeong-ho New Chairman

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The Brian Impact Foundation announced on the 27th that it has appointed Kim Jeong-ho, CEO of BearBetter, as its new chairman.

Chairman Kim Jeong-ho accepted the position without compensation, empathizing with the sincerity of former chairman Kim Beom-su, the founder of the foundation, and the business direction pursued by the Brian Impact Foundation. Kim is regarded as a figure with the execution capability for the projects that Brian Impact will undertake in the future. He has served as a member of the board since the foundation's inception.

Based on his experience as an entrepreneur and investor, Chairman Kim is expected to maintain the continuity of the foundation’s existing projects while adding expertise to various initiatives that contribute to creating a better world. He is an expert who has engaged in social contribution activities such as donating for the past 27 years, including founding BearBetter, a social enterprise employing people with severe developmental disabilities, by investing his own private funds.

Meanwhile, Kim Beom-su, the foundation’s founder and former chairman, will remain as a registered director of the foundation and continue participating in its activities alongside board members including Dr. Jung Hye-shin, a psychiatrist, Lee Kyung-ho, CEO and attorney of The Ham Law Firm, and actress Lee Yoon-mi.

Chairman Kim joined Samsung SDS in 1990 and later joined the in-house venture NaverCom. In June 1999, he co-founded Naver with seven other founders, including Lee Hae-jin, Naver’s Global Investment Officer (GIO). He subsequently served as CEO of NHN Hangame and NHN China. In June 2012, he co-founded BearBetter with Lee Jin-hee, a former NHN HR executive, focusing on sustainable employment and social integration for people with developmental disabilities.

Starting with the employment of five people with developmental disabilities, BearBetter has grown over eight years to employ more than 240 individuals with developmental disabilities and has facilitated the transfer of over 100 employees to large corporations. The company has been recognized for its sincerity and dedication to solving social issues, receiving awards such as the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation (2014), the Iron Tower Industrial Medal (2015), the Korea Ethics Management Award (2017), and the Minister of Employment and Labor Commendation (2017).

New Chairman Kim Jeong-ho stated, “I deeply resonate with the belief of former chairman Kim Beom-su and Brian Impact that technology can help people create a better world, and I have taken on the role of chairman. Going forward, I will do my best to maintain the business direction and philosophy that Brian Impact has pursued over the past year to foster a social impact ecosystem, supporting innovation for future society and solving social problems, and to ensure the foundation’s continuous development.”