Foreign IT Companies' Cloud Offensive in Korea... CEO Sequential Moves

CEO Changes Follow One After Another at Korea MS and Korea IBM

Foreign IT companies have undertaken leadership restructuring. After going through restructuring in the first half of the year and deciding to focus on cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) businesses, they appointed experts in these fields as chief executive officers (CEOs). As a result, CEOs in the cloud industry are moving in succession.

Microsoft (MS) appointed Cho Won-woo, CEO of Megazone Cloud, as the new CEO of Microsoft Korea on the 1st. He will officially take office on the 21st. Megazone Cloud, which was previously led by co-CEOs Lee Joo-wan and Cho Won-woo, is currently reviewing whether to switch to a sole CEO system or appoint a new co-CEO.

The new CEO Cho has experience across cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud managed service providers (MSPs). He has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's largest CSP, and Cisco Systems, a US telecommunications equipment company, served as CEO of GE Digital Korea, an industrial software company, and led Megazone Cloud, a domestic MSP. As a B2B solution expert, he will play a role in driving corporate digital transformation through cloud and AI adoption. Ahmed Mazhari, MS Asia President, said, "Korea is one of the most dynamic markets in Asia, leading AI innovation," and added, "We expect the new CEO Cho, with his extensive experience, to lead well."

Earlier, Korea IBM and Google Cloud Korea also welcomed new CEOs. At the end of June, Korea IBM appointed Lee Eun-joo, former Vice President of Samsung SDS Cloud Service Division, as the new CEO. Lee previously worked at Oracle and VMware, US companies supplying enterprise software, and led Samsung SDS’s cloud division. She oversaw cloud service planning, marketing, and client management. Leveraging her experience, she plans to strengthen the company’s position in the Korean market focusing on cloud and AI. In April, Google Cloud Korea filled the vacancy left by former CEO Jang Hwa-jin’s resignation with new CEO Kang Hyung-joon. Kang previously served as head of Snowflake Korea and Clouddera Korea, global cloud companies.

These companies underwent a round of layoffs before restructuring their leadership. Earlier this year, AWS Korea, Google Korea, and Microsoft Korea conducted restructuring involving 20 to 40 employees due to US headquarters’ downsizing policies. Despite the economic downturn, as the cloud market?the core infrastructure for AI?grows, they have appointed experts in this field as leaders.

The domestic cloud industry is also busy with leadership restructuring. Domestic MSP Bespin Global appointed Kim Sunny, head of its US branch, as the new CEO on the 1st. Kim’s mission is to expand the cloud business globally. Former CEO Lee Han-joo will lead the software business, which was separated as an independent entity, and serve as CEO of Newbury Global, the holding company of Bespin Global. Kakao subsidiary Kakao Enterprise appointed Lee Kyung-jin, Vice President and head of the cloud division, as the new CEO in May. This is to reorganize the company focusing on the cloud business, which has high growth potential and investment value among B2B businesses. An industry insider said, "Generative AI is leading the cloud market, prompting companies to choose and focus."