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When fresh graduate Ho-sang Lee first dipped his toe in the professional world, semiconductors were not well-known globally. In fact, the now Managing Director of SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (Head of Europe) was completely unaware of semiconductors. Presented with prospective employment across various industries, Ho-sang Lee quickly recognized the potential a career in semiconductors held.

In his first six years of career, Lee worked in administration, working his way into more senior positions that required collaborating with headquarters and the overseas subsidiaries as part of the sales division.

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As a leader who prioritizes communication, it comes as no surprise that ensuring harmony is at the top of this Managing Director’s to-do list. While Lee does enjoy listening to classical music, especially Mozart’s “Oboe Concerto,” the harmony he strives to achieve in the workplace is of the non-musical variety.

“Since people with different personalities completing different kinds of work often interact, it is paramount to achieve harmony through communication. The most successful individuals are considerate and try to compromise even if there are differences of opinion.”

Striking the Right Chord in Business

The automotive industry has long been a driving force in the European economy, playing a key role in advancing regional development across the continent. In Frankfurt, Germany, sitting geographically at the center of it all, is the SK hynix Deutschland GmbH office.

“Making Frankfurt home base for our European business presents numerous advantages. The country has a rich automotive history and provides quick and easy access to the rest of the continent via the international airport, autobahn, railroads, and even ships.”

Access to convenient international travel options is important for Lee’s team as the SK hynix’s German subsidiary manages business for the entire continent along with the team in Britain. Together, they support clients through satellite sales offices located in Paris, Helsinki, and Dublin.

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Home to various top-tier carmakers, Germany is the perfect place for SK hynix’s Autolab. Opening its doors in January 2020, the Autolab aims to support the advancement of memory-related technologies for European automotive clients.

“Launching the Autolab was an important achievement for all members of the German team. The lab’s main objective is to conduct certification evaluations at the Board level for clients attempting to authenticate using our memory solutions. In addition, we also make recommendations to clients following strict evaluations and identify the exact cause of issues through defect analysis.”

The Autolab marks one of many meaningful strategic business decisions that have led to the landmark expansion of SK hynix’s automotive business. Lee is both pleased with the progress made so far and optimistic about the future. The Managing Director noted some standout moments from the past year, including working with one of the top-tier carmakers and improving profitability.

“In 2021, we were able to improve our legacy product profitability due partly to favorable market conditions. In addition, there was a feat of securing the memory requirements of the top-tier carmaker, and preemptively reflecting them in the development of our HQ products.”

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He is proud to have achieved this success jointly through the support of all the German team members and looks forward to accomplishing more together.

“SK hynix’s automotive business is really beginning to take off. To solidify our position, our activities in Europe are becoming increasingly important. The German subsidiary stands at the forefront as the European market is expected to expand in the future.”

Setting the Tone for the German Office

Much of the German Office’s success can be attributed to its strong internal culture and welcoming atmosphere. The close-knit team tackles a variety of disciplines in-house including, marketing, sales, planning, product development, quality control, and, of course, management.

“I believe the most important thing to strive for is harmony among all the members. As an office, we try to follow principles of harmony while setting clear boundaries between work and home.”

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A transplant himself, Lee understands how difficult transitioning to life in another country can be.

“In addition to discussing the main tasks of our business, I try to help my team members by sharing my own personal tips and know-hows on living and working aboard and how to adjust and adapt to their new lives.”

When it entered the automotive market, SK hynix was a relative latecomer compared to the industry’s established players. The brand was less well-know, but Lee and the team in Germany hit the ground running.

“We were somewhat less recognizable than our competitors, but due to the nature of the automotive industry, we were ready to compete on what clients valued most—semiconductor quality and reliability.”

The team had some unique challenges to surmount and did so by uniting under a banner of teamwork and harmony.

“There were numerous difficulties as a reflection of limited resources, such as negotiations, product certification, and poor response to supply contracts. However, through consistent and persuasive conversations with customers, our team laid the foundation for business expansion.”

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Attitude is also an important value Lee instills in his team. In his mind, the term can encompass many different meanings, but it is about mindset at its core.

“I think it’s the key thing to remember when dealing with all our work—our tasks, our relationships, collaborations, debates, conflicts, and so on—is that we have to be in the right mindset, with the right attitude in all our dealings.”

Lee’s Final Notes on Harmony

Sharing a few final thoughts, Lee spoke again about the importance of harmony, sharing his advice for aspiring hi-gineers.

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“These days, there is a widespread social atmosphere that emphasizes individual abilities and specifications, but I think sincere attitudes and approaches to difficult problems in work and human relations are essential for the development of individuals and companies.

While working at a company, you often encounter dead ends and must navigate internal competition and conflict. However, by focusing on supporting your team with a harmonious attitude and communicating with consideration and sincerity toward others you’ll be able to take on any challenge.”

The post The Importance of Harmony: Ho-sang Lee on his role as Managing Director at SK hynix Deutschland GmbH first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

In this article, we are highlighting three young colleagues working in three different SK hynix offices in the world. With 32 offices around the globe, SK hynix is proud to offer employees the opportunity to experience different parts of the world while maintaining connections to their home country through their work.

Germany: At the cutting edge

With many top automakers and vehicle-component companies in the region, Europe is leading the future autonomous driving industry and the development of 5G and the future communications market.

The Way I See It: Hyun-jin Song (Technical Leader, Commercial Marketing, Germany)

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Tell us about your role on the commercial marketing team
I am in charge of customers in the networking field, one of the main businesses of the German subsidiary. We closely identify key issues and the current status of relevant markets and customers, establish mid-to-long-term sales plans for each customer in alignment with the head office strategy, and carry out tasks to achieve short-term(monthly/quarter) sales goals.

Since we serve as the first window to connect local customers with the head office, it is necessary to judge the needs of various customers quickly and comprehensively, regardless of the field. We are working hard to help to make the best decisions locally or at our headquarters through this.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
I believe that a spirit of cooperation, teamwork and strong ties are the driving forces behind the German subsidiary. Because it is a small office, with relatively fewer employees, everyone is busy with their own work, but whenever large or small issues arise within the corporation, it’s in our DNA to try and solve problems together without distinction between expatriates and local members.

As it’s quite common to meet people still unfamiliar with South Korea, I feel prouder as a member of SK hynix and my country when customers recognize the global status of SK hynix and see locally-hired colleagues take pride in working for a global semiconductor company.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
How autonomous driving technology will evolve in the future and when the era of fully autonomous driving will be realized is a very interesting topic for me.

It will be quite challenging because it won’t only require complex and diverse cutting-edge technologies, but issues on regulations, insurance, safety and etc. should also be addressed. I think close collaboration with our customers will be even more important in the near future as the issues are closely related to the technological development of the Automotive/Network industry, the main business area of SK hynix in Germany and the growth of our own memory products for cars.

What’s your after-work personal life like there?
After work or on weekends, I spend most of my time playing golf and traveling. You can enjoy golf at a very reasonable price in Germany unlike in Korea, so golf is a must-have hobby if you work as an expatriate in Germany.

Frankfurt, where the German office is located, is a great place to start a trip as it has flights to all parts of Europe. I can go to all the European cities that I’ve always wanted to visit on weekends, without taking a long vacation. Those short travels are even more satisfying for me as I enjoy taking pictures.

Unfortunately, travel is not easy these days due to the COVID-19 situation, but I hope that I could travel freely again when the pandemic is over in the not-too-distant future.

Japan: Strong Leadership in Materials for Semiconductors

Japan has always been known for its leadership in the technology industry. The country plays a strong role in the NAND Flash market and is also a major developer of semiconductor materials, parts and equipment.

SK hynix has a small but mighty team in Japan that works closely together to drive sales and marketing in the region.

The Way I See It: Jung Hur (Technical Leader, Commercial Marketing, Japan)

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Tell us about your role on the commercial marketing team
My role as a marketer based here is to establish strategies to increase corporate sales, strengthen profitability and foundation. Simply put, my role is to plan and manage the sales of the entire corporation.

The main task is to consult with the headquarters and set the quantity and price of products to be sold to customers here. We also analyze local customers’ demand and send the data to headquarters to predict market conditions in accordance with changes in demand.

For example, if PC customers are expected to increase or reduce their production and memory purchases for PCs, reflecting changes in market conditions, in the next quarter, we report our analysis to the headquarters so that the company can prepare an appropriate plan.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
Here, we collaborate with each other very well. It is a small corporation where sales, marketing, technology, purchasing, accounting and management teams coexist, so everyone’s willing to provide support to others, regardless of the team/work boundaries.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
What interests me the most is how the semiconductor memory business will overcome the technological limitations for tech migration. So, I’m studying how EUV adoption for DRAM and 3D-NAND structure for NAND are evolving.

What’s your after-work personal life like there? any hobbies?
I usually spend time with my family after work, helping my children with their school homework. Compared to Korea, golf is more popular and cheaper here, so I have been playing golf as a hobby.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, it’s not easy to eat out or meet friends, so more recently, I stay home and don’t go out that often.

Singapore: A logistical centerpiece

Singapore, the current center of Asian logistics, is aiming to become an Asian electric vehicle production hub in the future.

The SK hynix team in Singapore oversees operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India together. Similar to Japan, the SK hynix team in Singapore also works closely together to close deals and service customers in the region.

The Way I See It: Yeon-ju Koo (Technical Leader, Administration, Singapore)

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Tell us about your role on the administration team
This is my third year as a Higineer since I joined the company in February 2019. I work for the Administration’s finance team in Singapore and I’m in charge of credit/fund management. My main role is to closely coordinate with banks to support the cash flow and other plans of the headquarters as rising revenues typically require greater volume in financial transactions.

*Higineer: The term, a combination of hynix and engineer, is widely used within SK hynix to refer to the members of the company.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
The team in Singapore has always been welcoming and friendly. I have lots of fond memories including getting invited by local friends to spend time on Singapore holidays and learning Singapore’s custom and traditional games.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
I am interested in how technology using artificial intelligence will be applied in the future. There are many areas where artificial intelligence can be used, such as medical, logistics, electric vehicles, tourism, and app development. I think SK hynix will have a greater role and status as demand for semiconductor memory, indispensable to AI, increases.

In Singapore, “National AI Strategy” is one of the top five core projects.

What’s your after-work personal life like there?
Before COVID-19, I spent the weekends traveling to neighboring Southeast Asian countries with my friends, taking advantage of Singapore’s geographical position. Malaysia and Batam, an Indonesian island, are just an hour away, so I used to visit them for a weekend getaway.

Nowadays, after work, I usually spend time with my friends, playing tennis or yoga. I also enjoy hiking on weekends.

I hope that in the near future, the pandemic will go away, and we all can travel freely again.

Down the pipeline

Our team’s success comes from its open and diverse culture, technological expertise, and passion for growth. We will continue to meet the needs of our customers, embrace emerging technology, and define industry standards.

Stay tuned for our next employee spotlight article to meet even more members of our growing staff here at SK hynix!

The post [Employee Spotlight Series]: Getting to Know Higineers Around the World first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.