"Ask Sam"... 'Let's Saemmul' Kim Sang-hyun, Lotte Vice Chairman, Engages in Communication with Employees

Vice Chairman Kim Sang-hyun's Meeting with Distribution Group PB Managers on the 19th
Communicated with 2,000 Employees Last Year

Kim Sang-hyun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Shopping, has actively engaged in communication with employees of the distribution group affiliates.

According to Lotte Shopping on the 21st, Vice Chairman Kim held the 51st ‘Let’s Saemmul (Let’s Saemmul)’ on the 19th at Lotte World Tower with 11 private brand (PB) managers from the distribution group affiliates. Let’s Saemmul is a communication program for employees of the distribution group affiliates, inspired by Vice Chairman Kim’s English name (Sam), meaning ‘Ask Sam.’ It has been held since March 2022, early in Vice Chairman Kim’s tenure.

Kim Sang-hyun, Vice Chairman and General Manager of Lotte Distribution Group (fourth from the left in the front row), and PB managers from affiliated companies of the distribution group are posing for a group photo with Let's Sammul.
[Photo by Lotte Distribution Group]

This Let’s Saemmul session included PB managers of Lotte Mart and Super’s ‘Oneul Joeun’ and ‘Yorihada’ brands, as well as PB managers from Lotte Department Store, Lotte ON, Lotte Home Shopping, and Lotte Hi-Mart. The PB managers gathered from each affiliate shared on-site voices regarding product planning and development, and continued communication by asking questions they were curious about.

Vice Chairman Kim is also conducting larger-scale ‘Town Hall Meetings.’ The Town Hall Meetings are regular occasions where the 11 affiliates of the distribution group share visions and strategies about their businesses.

Last year, Vice Chairman Kim communicated with about 2,000 employees, creating a culture where opinions can be freely exchanged from vice chairman to staff. The reason Vice Chairman Kim actively engages in communication with employees is because he believes that diverse communication can lead to ‘customer-centric management.’

Kim Sang-hyun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Distribution Group, said, “Communication with employees is an opportunity to hear more vividly the various matters occurring at the customer contact points as well as the voice of the customer,” adding, “Going forward, Lotte Distribution Group will continue to build an organizational culture that fosters employees’ One Team, One Mission, and One Mind so that it can become the ‘customers’ first shopping destination.’”

Meanwhile, Lotte Distribution Group is making various efforts such as conducting the ‘Lotte Distribution Group Women Leaders Workshop’ to enhance job expertise and nurturing key in-house instructors within the distribution group affiliates.