The Motto of 'Daesinman' CEO Oh Ik-geun [Asia Invitation]

Oh Ik-geun, CEO of Daishin Securities, is being interviewed on the 6th at Daishin 343 Building, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Jeon Pil-su, Hwang Jun-ho] It is now an era where even large corporations leave if they can increase their value. There are also ‘FIRE tribe’ members who accumulate 1 billion KRW in financial assets to break free from the shackles of the workplace. In such times, it is rare to work at a single company for a lifetime and rise to the position of CEO. This is especially true in the financial investment industry.

CEO Oh Ik-geun, who began his career at Daishin Securities in 1987, is a person who has made this a reality. Living his entire life as a ‘Daishin man,’ he has been part of Daishin Securities’ past, present, and future as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

His motto is “Let’s not be ashamed.” He stated, “I have not always lived without doing anything shameful,” but added, “I constantly repeat this phrase to myself and try to live without shame.” In particular, he said, “Sometimes, I see shameful bosses during my career, and one must strive not to be ashamed in front of their subordinates.”

His leadership is regarded as relatively gentle. While strict when working, he is known to be friendly enough to treat employees like brothers and younger siblings in daily life. He brews coffee for his wife in the morning and on the company’s anniversary, he made coffee for employees and chatted with them. He explained, “When I am in the office, there are few opportunities to talk with employees,” and added, “I brewed coffee using skills I learned from barista training conducted during a company workshop.” His favorite specialty coffee is made from Ethiopian beans, which he often drinks because of its fruity aroma. Before COVID-19, Daishin Securities held annual workshops, during which they conducted beneficial programs such as craft beer making and barista training one by one.

Before becoming the head of Daishin Securities, CEO Oh served as the head of Daishin Savings Bank. He defined, “The banking business belongs to a sector where management forecasts are quite accurate,” whereas “the securities business is a dynamic industry where the management environment changes moment by moment, and management plans can become meaningless.” Accordingly, what he has been focusing on recently is “risk hedging to build a stable business,” emphasizing that “to reduce volatility, we are diversifying the portfolio (securities, real estate, etc.).”

Interview by Jeon Pil-su

Summary by Hwang Jun-ho