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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hanmi Pharmaceutical will appoint an external professional as chief executive officer (CEO) for the first time since its founding.
The company said on March 12 that its board approved agenda items for the annual shareholders’ meeting scheduled for March 31, including proposals related to the appointment of new directors.
Five directors, including current CEO Park Jae-hyun, will see their terms expire at the end of this month. The company plans to appoint two new inside directors and two outside directors, while reappointing outside director Kim Tae-yoon.
The new director nominees include Hwang Sang-yeon, head of the private equity division at HB Investment; Kim Na-young, head of new product development at Hanmi Pharmaceutical; Han Tae-joon, president of Ghent University Global Campus; and former lawmaker Chae Yi-bae.
Among them, Hwang Sang-yeon—who has been nominated as the new CEO—will officially assume the role following shareholder approval at the upcoming meeting.
Hwang, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Seoul National University, is considered an investment expert. He previously served as head of research at Mirae Asset Securities, chief investment officer (CIO) at Allianz Global Investors, and CEO of Chong Kun Dang Holdings.
Since Hanmi Pharmaceutical was founded in 1973 by the late Lim Sung-ki, the appointment marks the first time an external figure rather than an internally promoted executive will lead the company.
The leadership change comes amid an ongoing management dispute involving Shin Dong-guk, chairman of Hanyang Precision and the largest shareholder of Hanmi Science, the group’s holding company. CEO Park Jae-hyun, who had been in conflict with Shin over alleged interference in management, was not renominated as a director and will step down.
In a statement released on March 12, Park said he would step down as CEO at the end of his term, adding that he hoped his actions would serve as a reminder of the importance of preserving the “Lim Sung-ki spirit,” which emphasizes respect for professional management and the independence of executives.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
