Kakao Jeongsin-a Takes Initiative in Communication, First Agenda is 'Business Direction'

Crew Talk with 1,000 Employees
Correcting Overextended Business Expansion
Redefining the Identity of a Technology Company

Jeong Shin-a, the designated CEO of Kakao, will engage in relay communication with employees for about a month starting from the 11th. The first agenda is 'business direction.' This is interpreted as a will to correct the sprawling business expansion and redefine the identity of the technology company, including artificial intelligence (AI).

On the same day in the afternoon, Jeong will start 'Crew Talk' with employees at Kakao Pangyo Ajit in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Jeong previously stated in an internal notice last month, "I intend to meet the crew directly to hear the whole story without bias." He plans to meet about 1,000 employees sequentially until early next month.

The first Crew Talk topic is business direction. He plans to share opinions with employees about what parts of Kakao's current services and businesses need to be changed, what should be preserved, and the direction to move forward.

Starting with discussions on business direction is interpreted as a sign of redefining Kakao's identity. Correcting the business direction of Kakao, which has been stigmatized as an 'octopus company' and accused of 'invading neighborhood markets,' and leading a structural transformation is the most urgent task. Jeong is regarded as a person with deep understanding of Kakao's diverse businesses and services. He has long been involved in the IT industry, including Boston Consulting Group, eBay Asia-Pacific headquarters, Naver, and venture capital (VC) Kakao Ventures. At Kakao Ventures, he discovered IT startups in various fields such as AI, robotics, mobile platforms, and digital healthcare.

Jeong plans to listen to opinions on business direction during the Crew Talk and use them as a reference to review future directions. Instead of a strategy to expand businesses such as taxi, designated driver services, and hair salons based on users gathered from the national messenger KakaoTalk, it is expected that he will establish a strategy to focus on nurturing future core businesses such as AI. When Jeong was designated as Kakao's next CEO last month, he said, "I will focus more on future core business areas," and added, "There is not much time left for Kakao, so I will not miss the timing of change."

Starting with the first Crew Talk, seven topics will be covered, including technology initiatives, governance, personnel systems, working methods, and corporate culture. Employees can choose the topics they want, and if desired, they can participate in multiple topics. Each session will be a free discussion lasting about an hour. It is known that Kim Beom-su, the founder and co-chairman of the CA Council, will also attend some sessions.

Jeong concurrently serves as the head of Kakao's reform task force (TF) and co-chairs the CA Council with founder Kim. He is expected to be officially appointed as Kakao's CEO through the board of directors and shareholders' meeting in March.