Lee Sunhoon of Shinhan Investment Highlights Cicero's "On Duties"

"Only by fulfilling one's duties can one truly become a citizen." Lee Sunhoon, who took office as the relief pitcher for Shinhan Investment Corp. earlier this year, has now invoked Cicero's "On Duties" to all executives and employees. This is interpreted as a message aimed at "restoring trust," something he has emphasized since the losses incurred from exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

According to Shinhan Investment Corp. on May 8, Lee delivered a message to executives and employees that day, stating, "We must always be grateful to our customers, who are the reason for our existence, and devote ourselves to growing together with them."

Lee cited the content of "On Duties" by the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, emphasizing that one can only become a true citizen by fulfilling one's duties. He particularly stressed that for Shinhan Investment Corp. to become a company trusted by employees, customers, shareholders, and society, putting principles into practice is essential. He referenced a passage from Cicero's work: "Trustworthiness arises from carrying out what one has said."

From the perspective of Cicero's "On Duties," Lee also called for meticulous customer management in response to last month's increased market volatility. At the same time, from an internal control perspective, he urged communication between department heads and staff, thorough crisis response, and refraining from excessive investment activities such as leverage. Since emphasizing "restoring trust" in his inaugural address earlier this year, Lee has been pursuing rigorous internal controls, organizational culture reform, and human resource innovation.

Additionally, Lee stated that the company has begun formulating its mid-term strategy, asking employees to "prepare for differentiated growth by establishing a robust operational system centered on internal controls." Specifically, he said the company must find ways to respond to changes in the financial environment in the era of "AI agents," coexisting with "high-performing AI."