Hollys, Missha, Hanssem: When She Leads, Companies Revive [K-INVESTORS]⑬

'81-born' Kim Yujin, the Driving Force Behind the Organization
"It's Not Just My Work... It's About Collaborating with Others"
"Understanding Team Members' Strengths and Traits Is a Key Task"

Editor's NoteThe Korean capital market is more turbulent than ever, driven by greed and selfishness. Manipulations and foul play are rampant. However, many investors have carved out their own investment worlds and emerged as role models for individual investors, having endured all kinds of crises from the foreign exchange crisis, the dot-com bubble, the global financial crisis, to COVID-19. Through meetings with these investors, we aim to convey the value of money through their war-like stories of the capital market, their philosophies, failures, and successes. Starting now, we will share stories from experts in various fields, including chief investment officers of domestic pension funds who have become global "big players" through value investing and activism, leaders of private equity and asset management firms, and CEOs of financial companies.

At the end of last year, the first female partner was appointed at the domestic private equity firm IMM Private Equity (IMM PE). She is Yujin Kim, born in 1981, Vice President of IMM PE and CEO of Hanssem. Vice President Kim joined IMM PE in 2009 and is recognized for successfully leading companies through crises, including the sale of Hollys Coffee, Able C&C (Missha), and Hanssem. In the second half of last year, she was appointed as the CEO of Hanssem and turned the company from a deficit to a surplus solely through management efficiency without restructuring. We were curious about the secret behind her ability to miraculously revive every company she touches.

"It's not something I do alone. Honestly, once an organization reaches a certain size, there isn't much I can do by myself. If I try to do everything directly, I might actually ruin things. The core of my job is to mobilize the people within the company."

Yujin Kim, Vice President of IMM PE (CEO of Hanssem)

CEO Kim is receiving a lot of attention as a young female CEO. Her background is impressive. She studied Computer Science at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and earned an MBA from Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Business. She began her career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In 2009, she joined IMM PE and led mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals including Hollys F&B, Lezhin Comics, and Taelim Packaging.

As an engineering graduate, most of her friends work at large corporations like Samsung Electronics or IT startups. How did this "gongsooni" (female engineering student) end up on the path of an investor? During college, she was not exactly a model student. She enjoyed hanging out with friends and drinking, and once took a carefree trip to India with just 2 million won earned from part-time jobs. However, as graduation approached, she faced a dilemma. She did not want to work as a mere cog in a huge company. Her interests were somewhat different from friends who stayed up all night programming, deeply immersed in computers.

While contemplating her career path, she entered graduate school to study business administration, which helped her focus. After graduation, she worked at a consulting firm and experienced intense workloads. She found her footing when she joined IMM PE in 2009.

She is especially noted for significantly improving the profitability of portfolio companies before their sale. From 2017, Kim served as CEO of Hollys F&B, managing the company directly until its successful sale to KG Group in 2020. She also succeeded in turning around the declining performance of Able C&C. Appointed CEO of Able C&C in 2021, when the company had recorded losses for two consecutive years, she returned it to profitability within a year. Within six months of becoming CEO of Hanssem, she transformed it into a profitable company, earning well-deserved recognition for her management skills.

"Ultimately, I believe work is accomplished through the help and cooperation of others. When I enter an acquired company, many of my preconceived notions are shattered. I hear completely different perspectives, and their thinking is broader and bigger than mine."

To seek help and cooperation from many people, certain prerequisites must be met. One must quickly and accurately understand people's strengths and tendencies. This is where CEO Kim’s unique competitive edge shines.

"When I first enter a company, it is important to enable employees to work in the right places. Placing existing resources in the right positions changes the company."

CEO Kim said that the larger the organization, the more important it is to identify key talent. If key talent is well discovered, the entire organization can operate organically.

In fact, many challenges arise the moment one steps into an acquired company. Fortunately, over time, colleagues and employees have supported her, helping overcome difficulties and grow.

"I think I have met many wonderful people throughout my work. I am truly grateful. Especially, I have learned a lot by seeing senior colleagues, as they age, become more considerate of juniors and encourage employees while continuously developing and striving. Conversely, knowing that juniors are watching me puts a lot of pressure on me. This is why I think I must be more humble and work harder at Hanssem."