The Semiconductor Memory industry is experiencing a new paradigm driven by advances in AI. In this rapidly evolving environment, SK hynix’s Business Planning department played a key role in the company’s best-ever performance in 2024. By maximizing limited resources through rigorous analysis and proactively adapting to internal and external changes, the team contributed significantly to this success. Moving beyond these short-term results, the team is now focused on ensuring the company’s sustainable growth.

In the third episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, the SK hynix Newsroom sat down with Vice President Jungwoo Kim, head of Business Planning. In this wide-ranging interview, Kim discusses his strategies for driving operational innovation and shaping the company’s future.

Strategic Decision-Making: The Key to Achieving Competitiveness

Kim was instrumental in driving SK hynix’s remarkable growth in 2024 and laying the groundwork for strengthening future capabilities. “Despite the unprecedented downturn in the memory market in 2023, proactive investments based on market analysis led to the company’s record-breaking performance in 2024,” he stated. “Infrastructure investments, such as the decision in 2024 to build the M15X fab, will serve as a critical foundation for responding to new demand.” Kim emphasized that these key achievements were fueled by thorough market analysis and data-based strategic decision-making.

“Decision-making in the semiconductor memory industry is becoming increasingly complex, not only due to technological evolution but also as a result of various uncertainties such as geopolitical risks and growing AI competition,” Kim revealed. “As the head of Business Planning, I will lead strategic decisions that address the company’s key challenges. Beyond simply establishing plans, I will focus on developing feasible strategies by actively communicating with on-site teams to ensure we reach our goals.”

Developing practical and sophisticated strategies based on on-site experience is one of Kim’s strengths. Since joining SK hynix’s manufacturing and technology unit, the Memory Manufacturing Center, in 2003, he has gained extensive experience in field operations and optimization through roles at the Icheon headquarters and as a resident officer in Wuxi, China. “Decisions made during the planning stage significantly impact the productivity and competitiveness of on-site operations,” he emphasized.

“I understand better than anyone the relentless efforts of our members to perfect technology and maximize yield, as well as the intensity of a 24/7 production environment,” he said. “My goal is to provide practical, timely solutions fit for front-line operations, enhancing execution capabilities and contributing to the growth of both the company and our employees.”

Kim will provide practical solutions for front-line operations to support company growth

From Uncertainty to Execution: Driving Operational Innovation

In the semiconductor memory industry, where the cycles of boom and bust are the norm, the “art of timing” is crucial as well-timed investment decisions can determine business success or failure. Since 2023, SK hynix has been operating a consultative body uniting all departments to predict and analyze market conditions, thus guiding key decisions on production, sales, and investments. This approach has helped the company navigate an unprecedented industry downturn and achieve its best performance to date.

“2025 is a pivotal year where we must move beyond past achievements and set the stage for sustainable growth,” Kim claimed.

“Guided by the principle of ‘From Uncertainty to Execution,’ the Business Planning department is driving operational innovation with three key objectives: preemptively taking action to address market changes, strengthening data-driven decision-making systems, and maximizing cross-department synergies,” he revealed. “To effectively respond to market changes, we will refine market assessments and sharpen investment discussions while establishing strategies which align with global IT trends and technological advancements. Additionally, we will build a framework to enable rapid changes of direction based on data analysis of supply and demand fluctuations and investment profitability. Close collaboration with on-site teams will also be key to enhancing execution and ensuring success.”

Collaboration and responding to market changes are key to Kim’s strategy for driving operational innovation

Leading by Example: Embracing Challenges & Innovation for Further Growth

As the Business Planning department tackles company-wide issues, the work requires careful deliberation. “No matter how difficult the problem is, if we demonstrate a ‘one-team’ spirit, discuss solutions, and take it step by step, we’ve always found a way to solve a challenge,” he said and emphasized that, for this approach to succeed, “Leaders must set the right example.”

“A leader should not only set the direction but also engage with team members and consider their diverse perspectives,” he said. “I will step forward for difficult tasks, think deeply, and be a leader who communicates with an open mind.”

Kim concluded by encouraging the team to embrace challenges and drive innovation.

“SK hynix has grown through a history of challenges and innovation,” he said. “While we should take pride in our achievements we’ve made so far, we must not become complacent. Let’s push forward, take action, and create even greater growth together, ensuring SK hynix remains at the forefront of the global semiconductor market.”

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The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of Business Planning Jungwoo Kim on Executing Strategic Decisions to Navigate Uncertainty first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

In 2024, SK hynix achieved its best-ever performance to date, solidifying its leadership in the global AI memory industry. The Business Analysis department played a key role in this achievement by strengthening the company’s financial standing through rigorous profit and loss management, cost and profitability analysis, and economic simulations.

To build upon this improved financial foundation and drive further growth, SK hynix appointed Vice President Jaekwang Eom of Business Analysis as a new executive. In the second episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, the newsroom spoke with Eom to discuss his aspirations and thoughts in this new role.

Rising Above the Downturn, Aiming for Greater Growth in 2025

Aiming for top cost competitiveness and enhanced memory value, Eom and the Business Analysis team relentlessly moved forward in 2024, leading to the company’s record-breaking performance.

“The previous downturn brought significant challenges, making financial stability our top priority in 2024,” he said. “The Business Analysis team responded by promptly analyzing profits and losses amid the rapidly changing environment, optimizing resources, and strengthening our core capabilities. As a result, we achieved world-class cost competitiveness.”

Despite the company’s strong 2024 performance, Eom stressed that there is no room for complacency and he aims for greater progress in 2025.

“Although we achieved great success last year, there’s still room for improvement,” he stated. “In 2025, we will strive to achieve positive net cash¹ and sustainable growth to help the company reach new heights. We will achieve Operational Improvement² (O/I) 2.0 not only through cost reduction but also by measuring the impact of process and structural improvements and implementing an advanced management system.”

¹Net cash: The amount remaining after subtracting borrowings from cash and cash equivalents, indicating a state where cash holdings exceed borrowings.
²Operational Improvement (OI): An SK Group management strategy first proposed in 2002 that optimizes key performance indicators such as profit margins, customer satisfaction, and sustainability to maximize business profits. It refers to all management decisions that improve and enhance the business.

Eom aims to enhance financial stability and operational efficiency, driving sustainable growth for SK hynix

Hands-on Experience Shaping a Balanced Perspective

Eom’s career path is unique. Now leading the Business Analysis department—a key pillar of the company’s financial operations—Eom began his career in manufacturing and technology. With a background in semiconductor manufacturing, he is recognized for his exceptional ability to balance manufacturing and technology operations with financial strategies.

“Finance-related organizations are often perceived as solely focused on cutting costs,” he revealed. “But with my experience in manufacturing and technology, I’ve learned to make well-balanced decisions instead of favoring one side. Moving forward, I’ll continue making decisions that satisfy both our financial objectives and the needs of the manufacturing and technology teams.”

This approach is clear in the Business Analysis department, where nearly half the members have manufacturing or technical backgrounds.

“As SK hynix is a leading tech company, even the Business Analysis department, which is focused on financial strategy, needs a deep understanding of technology,” Eom revealed. “Leveraging this expertise, we’ll develop more well-crafted and practical financial strategies.”

Eom seeks to integrate financial expertise with technical insights, ensuring balanced decision-making and stronger cost competitiveness

Recognizing Achievements Driven by SUPEX & the One-Team Spirit

For Eom, the achievements of 2024 are particularly significant. Not only did the company achieve its best-ever financial results, but a taskforce that was formed in 2021 to drive world-class cost competitiveness also made remarkable progress. In 2024, SK hynix achieved the leading cost competitiveness in the global semiconductor market, demonstrating not only the company’s technological excellence but also its strong leadership in business management.

“Achieving outstanding cost competitiveness wasn’t easy, but thanks to our commitment to SUPEX³ and the ‘one-team’ spirit, we reached our goal faster than expected,” he said. “As a member of SK hynix, I’m incredibly proud and deeply grateful to all the team members who worked hard to make this achievement possible.”

³Super Excellent Level (SUPEX): A key concept of SK Group’s business management system, SKMS, SUPEX describes the highest level attainable by human ability.

Eom concluded by highlighting the importance of hyperconnectivity. “To become the world’s leading full stack AI memory provider, we must focus on improving individual skills while also harnessing the power of collective intelligence,” he added.

“As market conditions rapidly evolve and competition intensifies, we must improve operational efficiency while securing a technological edge. I believe we can elevate SK hynix to new heights by harnessing the power of convergence—where experts from various fields work together to create even greater value.”

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The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of Business Analysis Jaekwang Eom Balances Financial & Tech Objectives for Leading Cost Competitiveness first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Amid intensifying technological competition and diversifying customer demands in today’s AI market, HBM¹ remains a gamechanger.

¹High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).

Backed by industry-leading technology, SK hynix’s HBM played a pivotal role in the company achieving its best-ever performance in 2024. In 2025, continued innovation and enhanced productivity will be crucial to drive even greater growth. The role of the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team, responsible for optimizing yield, quality, and cost, as well as advancing packaging technology, is therefore more critical than ever.

To find out more about the team’s efforts, the SK hynix Newsroom sat down with its leader, Vice President Kwonwhan Han. In the first episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, Han discussed HBM technology innovation strategies for leading the AI memory market along with his vision and goals.

Two Birds, One Stone: Achieving Technological & Operational Innovation

Han, who joined SK hynix in 2002, was involved from the initial development of HBM and has since led the development and mass production of every HBM generation, playing a key role in establishing the company’s HBM leadership.

“When HBM was first launched, production scale and demand were nowhere near today’s levels” he stated. “However, the emergence of ChatGPT in 2023 sparked explosive growth in the AI market and a rapid surge in customer demand. In response, we were tasked with building a much larger production line than the existing one in a short period of time. To meet demand, we also converted parts of other production lines into HBM production lines, establishing a large-scale mass production system. At the time, it seemed nearly impossible to reach our goals, but with the dedicated efforts of the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team and related departments, we were able to succeed.”

Han’s strategic response became the foundation for SK hynix’s increased HBM market share and world-class production capacity and quality. Building on this experience and expertise, he is now set to lead the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team. In this position, he will play a crucial role in enhancing mass-production capabilities and establishing a new technical base for a smooth transition to next-generation HBM.

“To stay competitive in the HBM market, it is essential to not only have technological expertise but also deliver the best products to customers in a timely manner,” Han claimed. “I will do my utmost to establish a collaborative system that can promptly respond to market and customer demands through technological and operational innovation, ensuring stable mass production.”

Han plans to develop a collaborative system which can respond to market demands, ultimately leading to stable HBM mass production

Building the Optimal Mass-Production Environment to Meet Market & Customer Demands

“The most important task in 2025 is to respond steadily to growing market demands, while also solidifying our technological readiness for mass production of next-generation HBM,” Han emphasized.

“The 12-layer HBM3E, which will be the main focus of production in 2025, has a higher level of process complexity compared to the existing 8-layer HBM3E,” he revealed. “Additionally, as next-generation HBM products evolve, we expect the technical challenges will become more demanding. While mass production will begin after overcoming many of these challenges during development, unexpected variables may still emerge as we rapidly scale production, and it will be difficult to resolve them. Therefore, the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team plans to focus on proactively anticipating these variables and developing a thorough response strategy.”

Recently, as demand for AI memory increases, there has also been a gradual rise in demand for customized products, especially among big tech companies. However, HBM involves more process steps and a more complex production process than other products, making it challenging to meet these demands. “Rather than simply increasing production volume, establishing an efficient operational system has become even more important,” Han stated. “We will enhance the flexibility of our production lines and strengthen collaboration with customers to maximize our HBM competitiveness.

“We are improving various operational systems through collaboration to enhance HBM production flexibility. From the development stage, development and mass production departments will work as one, closely cooperating with customers to increase production efficiency. To achieve this, we aim to establish an optimal mass-production environment by proactively addressing technical challenges with relevant departments. Based on these efforts, we will contribute to SK hynix’s advancement as a full stack AI memory provider.”

Han aims to enhance production line flexibility and strengthen customer collaboration to maximize HBM competitiveness

Fulfilling the Leader’s Role: Fostering Employee & Company Growth

Han emphasized that the key to driving outstanding performance lies in employees’ self-driven motivation, adding that leadership plays a crucial role in fostering such a mindset. In particular, he expressed a strong commitment to supporting the growth of younger team members.

“I believe that the role of a leader is to communicate in order to create an environment where employees can motivate themselves and take ownership of their work,” he said. “I will actively communicate and solve problems with my team so that passionate young employees who do their best can grow together with the company.”

In addition, Han emphasized that on-site safety remains the most important value even in a rapidly changing market, and encouraged employees to confidently move forward together.

“We are currently growing rapidly, and we must focus on achieving our goals. However, nothing is more important than safety at our facilities,” he claimed. “To ensure this, our management will lead by example. Also, I hope we never forget that we are the world’s best in our industry. Moving forward, I will continue to communicate and collaborate with my team, working together to build an even stronger SK hynix.”

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The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of HBM Heterogeneous Integration Tech Kwonwhan Han Strives to Strengthen HBM Leadership Through Optimized Mass Production first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.