LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuksu: "The Driving Force Behind Future Innovation Is Pivoting Expertise"

Moon Hyuksu of KAIST Delivers Leadership Lecture to Juniors
"You Must Be Able to Pivot Your Expertise in Response to the Demands of the Times"

Moon Hyuksu, CEO of LG Innotek, shared the management philosophy he has established throughout his journey as an engineer-turned-CEO, highlighting 'pivoting' capability as the driving force behind future innovation.

According to LG Innotek on October 19, Moon Hyuksu delivered a special leadership lecture to junior students at KAIST in Daejeon on October 17. Over 200 master's students attended the event.

Moon Hyuksu, CEO of LG Innotek, is giving a leadership special lecture to junior students on the 17th at the Termaan Hall in the Creative Learning Center at KAIST in Daejeon. LG Innotek

Having completed his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees at KAIST, Moon has paved an uncommon path among KAIST graduates, transitioning from academia to industry and from engineer to entrepreneur. He said, "My enjoyment of the problem-solving process itself was the driving force that allowed me to continuously pivot my career from school to company, and from engineer to executive." In particular, regarding his decision to shift from engineering to management, he explained, "I realized that no matter how hard I developed a product, it was meaningless if I couldn't sell it properly to customers," adding, "I found the process of directly meeting customers, understanding them, and creating added value for products to be very appealing."

The core value that has run through Moon's career, from engineer to entrepreneur, is the so-called pivot-his philosophy on professional transformation. This means not settling in a single field, but expanding one's expertise into new domains in response to changing times, thereby increasing the added value of individual or organizational capabilities.

Moon emphasized, "The reason I was able to successfully pivot my career was largely due to the influence of KAIST professors, who did not confine themselves to one field but researched new areas and taught students," adding, "This became a crucial foundation for me to grow as a leader who must make optimal decisions without losing flexibility in a rapidly changing world."

The pivoting capability also aligns with the future direction of LG Innotek under his leadership.

He further stated, "For both companies and individuals, the speed at which they can pivot in response to the demands of the times will determine their survival," explaining, "LG Innotek is also expanding its future business into new areas that can enhance the value of core technologies, such as mobility, robotics, and aerospace, beyond just mobile."

Another key word Moon emphasized during the lecture was 'value.'

He noted, "Every developer dreams of creating innovative technologies that can change the world, but new technologies that ignore market needs ultimately fail to realize their true potential," adding, "Conversely, if a technology is the first to solve a market pain point, it can redefine the market as a high-value, disruptive innovation."

Especially amid intensifying global competition, Moon believes that business-to-business (B2B) manufacturing companies like LG Innotek must compete in the market with differentiated value rather than price. He said, "Even with the same technology, there is a clear difference in value between technology developed in response to customer demands and technology proactively proposed and developed by understanding customer needs," emphasizing, "Differentiated customer value is the key element that makes our technology truly premium." He added, "Our goal is to sense customer needs ahead of time with a proactive mindset and quickly provide optimal solutions, thereby dominating the market with value unique to LG Innotek."