A Revamped U.S. HQ for the AI Era

Held under the theme “re:open, re:connect 2024”, the ceremony allowed employees to reconnect with the company’s leaders as they returned to the office after the extensive renovations. The 150 attendees, including top executives such as SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung and SK hynix America CEO and Head of AI Infra Justin Kim, took part in an office tour to observe the various improvements and new features.

Located on North First Street in San Jose’s semiconductor industry district, the office was refurbished to accomplish several goals. These included updating facilities, fostering a safe and healthy work environment, adapting to post-pandemic changes by enhancing collaboration technology, and supporting focused work opportunities to optimize efficiency.

Employees gather at the opening ceremony to see the new-look office

One of the key aspects of the refurbishment is the innovative use of space. The new-look office embraces natural light and greenery to bring in positive energy, and multi-functional rooms improve employee engagement and productivity. After the tour, Kwak took to the stage to acknowledge the efforts of those involved in the project before taking questions from the audience.

40 Years of Growth, Partnerships & Support

The renovated office features more natural light, greenery, and multi-functional rooms

The history of SK hynix’s U.S. business dates back to 1983 when it was the local subsidiary of Hyundai Electronics. Following a rebranding in 2012, the company was launched as SK hynix America under SK hynix’s long-running “Inside America” strategy. While the U.S. business first primarily centered on product sales, marketing, and, most importantly, personal and prompt customer service, it has added an R&D division in recent years.

At the end of 2023, NAND Development America was launched in San Jose to develop high-performance NAND flash for on-demand AI devices. Solidigm, a U.S. subsidiary of SK hynix established following the acquisition of Intel’s NAND flash and SSD businesses, further strengthens the company’s NAND flash and SSD offerings.

Located in Silicon Valley, SK hynix America neighbors global semiconductor and tech companies

Additionally, SK hynix America drives projects from the global headquarters including the validation of HBM¹ solutions. The U.S. headquarters plays a key role providing central communication channels between the company and its customers to meet their needs. Nestled within an area that hosts other global semiconductor and technology companies including TSMC and NVIDIA, the San Jose office will continue to be a bridge for further collaborations and partnerships.

¹High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that revolutionizes data processing speeds by connecting multiple DRAM chips with through-silicon via (TSV).

SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung delivers a speech at the opening ceremony

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Kwak praised the U.S team for their efforts which contributed to the company’s turnaround following the recent industry slowdown. “SK hynix’s recovery from the industry downturn would not have been possible without the expertise, capabilities, and determination of the SK hynix America employees,” he said. “We look forward to their continued efforts in advancing our AI memory market leadership in the U.S. and beyond.”

A Hub to Spark Future Innovations

Since its establishment, the San Jose office has accelerated SK hynix’s growth into a leading AI memory provider through local partnerships, R&D, and support for the headquarters in Korea. Looking ahead, SK hynix America’s renovated headquarters is set to become a hub for future innovations as SK hynix looks to solidify its leadership in next-generation memory technologies.

The post SK hynix America’s Renovated HQ Reopens to Advance AI Memory Leadership first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

“Even a simple ‘yes’ can have different meanings depending on how you say it in Korea. I’ll tell you all about it.”

When two SK hynix employees from the company’s South Korean and U.S. offices compared their countries’ work culture, they discovered a host of differences. As a global company, SK hynix cherishes these differences and adapts its corporate culture across its worldwide network of offices to create a positive work environment for all of its workers.

To provide an insight into the range of cultures that exist within SK hynix’s global offices, the videocall between a DRAM developer from SK hynix’s South Korea HQ and a financial analyst from SK hynix America covered a range of topics. The pair discussed cultural differences and similarities that can be seen in a range of aspects at work, including communication styles, approaches to work, and diversity.

Eun-hwan  Almost everyone is Korean in our office so there are no major cultural differences, but there is a generational gap in Korea. The differences are so stark that there is a phrase ‘latte’ often used by older people, but they’re not talking about coffee! In Korean, the phrase for ‘back in my day’ sounds like ‘latte’, so people often use it when talking about their work methods and values, but it is used outside the office too. So, you might hear senior staff say: ‘In my day (latte), a new worker couldn’t even talk directly to their team leader’. However, SK hynix has now established a much more horizontal culture. What about in the United States?

Loc Wow that’s so interesting. So I guess the ‘latte’ phrase can also be used sarcastically by younger workers in Korea too? Here, ‘the back in my day’ culture is less prevalent now. Unlike in Korea, there are more cultural differences in the U.S. than generational differences as people of various races and nationalities work together. This can sometimes provide challenges as we can be unsure how to be culturally sensitive to certain colleagues. In order to improve our understanding of other cultures, SK hynix America has developed a cultural transfer program to bring workers closer together and celebrate our cultural differences.

Loc  In addition to making efforts to improve our understanding of different cultures, I’ve noticed that SK hynix has also been looking to improve the efficiency of work processes here. How about in Korea?

Eun-hwan  The Korean headquarters is focused on improving the efficiency of tasks to save time. I’ve heard from my seniors that they used to write many reports but now there aren’t as many, and the speed of work is more important. What about in the U.S.?

Loc  The U.S. definitely seems to have less of an emphasis on speed than Korea, so I feel like timelines for tasks are probably longer and we therefore work less overtime. Also, I think in the U.S., employees draw a more distinct line between their work and personal life which also lessens the amount of overtime.

Eun-hwan  As there is an emphasis on speed and work efficiency in Korea, we do sometimes have to work overtime to meet short deadlines. However, the company’s Happy Friday¹ program here has meant that we can get rewarded with a day off if we do work regular overtime. Of course, the employees here are grateful for programs like this.

¹Happy Friday: SK hynix employees at certain offices are able to take one Friday off a month to refresh themselves when they work over the mandatory working hours.

Loc  Yes, who wouldn’t like Happy Fridays? Recently, we started Happy Friday in our office as well and employees here have responded enthusiastically. How satisfied are employees at the Korean HQ with these employee benefits?

Eun-hwan  We are extremely satisfied with our benefits. We can choose our working hours, and we’ve introduced two satellite offices (one in Seoul and one just south of the capital in Bundang) so employees can choose to work at the one closest to their homes. Since Vice Chairman Jung-ho Park became our co-CEO, there have been many experiments to improve the corporate culture. I have even higher expectations for the future.

Loc  It sounds like the Korean office is doing a lot for their employees. It’s interesting to see the different programs and general differences in our offices.

Loc  Actually, I was also interested in how staff communicate in Korea to see how it differs from here.

Eun-hwan  In Korea, a lot of our communication is via online messaging and text because we’ve cut down on reports, emails, and so on. The interesting thing is that even a casual ‘yes’ has different nuances in Korea depending on the expression. Simply writing ‘yep’ means agreeing readily, ‘yes’ means agreeing lukewarmly, and ‘yes…’ means agreeing reluctantly. What about in the United States?

Loc I can see that people in Korea put in a lot of effort to find the meaning behind the words, but in the U.S. we tend to be more straightforward. So yep, yes, yeah… they all mean the same thing: I agree.

Eun-hwan  It sounds more straightforward communicating in the U.S. office then. Of course, we use online messaging all the time now, especially since the pandemic had reduced our face-to-face interactions with colleagues and clients. However, fortunately now restrictions are easing so we can meet in-person more. How do you bond with your colleagues now that it’s possible to go out more? Do you go out for company dinners together?

Loc  While I’ve heard that companies in Korea are starting to go out for team dinners again since the COVID-19 restrictions have been eased, in the U.S. company dinners are not really common. I feel personal time is more sacred. Are there still a lot of company dinners in Korea?

Eun-hwan  Unlike the U.S., Korea still tends to emphasize the need for team-building over personal time. In the past, late-night company dinners were encouraged to build camaraderie, but nowadays people have more freedom to decide what team-building activities they want to do, such as cultural activities and sports.

Loc I heard that South Korea only recently lifted the indoor mask mandate. In the U.S., people have not been required to wear masks for a while now. How are Korean staff dealing with the situation?

Eun-hwan  As you said, now the indoor mask mandate has been lifted for most places except for medical facilities and public transport. However, many people are still wearing masks so it’s still a transitional period. Another positive effect of COVID-19 restrictions being eased is that we are able to travel once again. For people at our company, this means they can take work abroad through the Global eXperience Program (GXP).

Loc  Yes, that’s right. In fact, not long ago a member of the Korean headquarters came to our office (SK hynix America) to work for five weeks as part of the GXP. He helped out our U.S. team while still keeping up with his work from back home.

Eun-hwan  Yes, the GXP program² is very popular these days. In the future, the company plans to create a global hub office overseas so staff can freely work abroad. This is expected to create even more interest in positions at our company.

²GXP(Global eXperience Program): A work abroad program which provides staff with the chance to work at one of SK hynix’s overseas offices or a foreign partner company for five weeks while continuing to do their duties from their home office.

Loc  As well as offering work abroad programs such as the GXP, I feel that SK hynix is also strengthening its diversity and inclusivity policies. How about in Korea? Have you noticed more female and foreign staff around the office?

Eun-hwan  Yes, I think the company is changing in terms of cultural diversity. There are already a lot of female engineers like me, and you can see some foreign staff around too. The number of female executives is also steadily increasing. What about the U.S.?

Loc  As you know, the U.S. is home to a wide range of nationalities and a number of initiatives are in place to improve female representation in the workplace. Of course, we should never stand still and more measures could be taken to improve diversity and inclusion here.

At a ceremony to celebrate SK hynix’s tenth anniversary in 2022, Vice Chairman and co-CEO Jung-ho Park announced SK hynix’s plans for the future. These included establishing a family-friendly corporate culture, becoming a growth-oriented company for top global talents, and offering a flexible and innovative work environment.

This discussion offered an insight into how SK hynix is working to meet these goals through its strong benefit programs, inclusive policies, and its positive work-life balance. While there are various differences in work culture in the U.S. and South Korea, SK hynix is making tremendous strides to create a welcoming environment and inclusive culture for all of its employees across its global offices.

The post Employee Interview: SK hynix Cherishing Global Differences Through Adaptive Work Culture first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

This video was produced by SK’s Global Development Group. It is a part of a series of videos produced that highlight the talent and personalities of SK employees across its operating companies in the U.S. More videos can be found on www.sk.com.

Paul Palonsky has been a part of SK hynix America for more than 28 years. Over nearly three decades, Paul has watched the business, and memory industry, undergo significant growth and change.

The growth isn’t expected to slow down, either. According to a Global Market Insights report, the semiconductor memory market size was valued at around $115 billion in 2020 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 6.5% from 2021 to 2027.

The newsroom team spoke with Paul about how he got his start in the semiconductor industry and what has kept him excited to be a part of the SK hynix America team.

What has it been like being with this company for nearly 30 years?

It’s been a fascinating experience. When I started, the culture of the company was almost like that of a start up as the memory space was really starting to take off. Over the years, our technology and corporate structure have grown significantly, but not to the detriment of the company culture. Throughout all stages of growth, our executives have valued the input and opinions of the teams in place as they look to scale the business. That trust and confidence in the core employee base to help the company grow and be competitive I think has played a huge part of our company’s success story.

What has kept you motivated and inspired to stay with the same organization for so long?

Since I began, I have felt like I have been valued as a core part of the growth and success of our organization. Specifically, as a local market leader, I have had multiple opportunities to share my insignts and knowledge to influence the company’s overarching strategy. I continue to enjoy being a part of this team because our leadership sees me for more than my day-to-day role, they value my experience and ideas.

How did you begin your career?

I graduated from Georgia Tech and began my career in electrical engineering on the product design-side of the business. I didn’t love working in design engineering because it was too solitary for me. I like working with others and having human interaction be a major part of my daily routine. However, I am grateful for the perspective I gained from that experience. It has given me a unique perspective on the product and its core elements that allows me to add value to our customers.

What is one of the best lessons you have learned in your career?

I like to play Texas Hold’em poker in my down time which has helped me stay mentally sharp in my day-to-day. If you lose in the game, it’s because you played poorly, not because your luck is bad. The game helps me to see patterns or habits that I’m falling into that need to be reevaluated if I want to win.

It’s the same with my work. If I don’t stop and take stock of what I’m doing and the result it’s having, I won’t be successful.

The post Paul Palonsky: The Long-Term Partner to SK hynix America first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The meeting hosted by the Vice Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Park Jung-ho and the President and Chief Marketing Officer Kevin (Jongwon) Noh was attended by more than 200 employees following recent reopening of the U.S. subsidiary office. Over food and beverages provided outdoor at the campus, the employees were pleased with a rare opportunity to mingle with the top leaders, looking back on the past achievements and hear directly from the leaders on where the company is headed for next.

Also commemorating the 10th anniversary of SK hynix’s inclusion into the broader SK Group and a successful launch of Solidigm following acquisition of Intel’s NAND and SSD business, Park shared his views on the performance and vision of the U.S. operations for the years ahead and awarded teams and individuals with outstanding performance.

The meeting came at a critical time when SK hynix America is preparing for a new chapter in business following a rapid growth in the past decade. With SK hynix planning to expand its presence in the U.S. as part of its Inside America strategy, SK hynix America is expected to serve as the hub for the U.S. operations. By gaining a foothold with potential partners in the local market, the company hopes to gain an edge on industry trends, establish a technology exchange network, and cooperate with U.S. higher-education institutions.

“We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary, but this is just the beginning. SK hynix America has taken on a meaningful role, especially in the realm of IT innovation,” Vice Chairman Park said. “We shouldn’t limit our role to a hardware (memory chip) provider. We should be proud that we’re providing freedom to software.”

Making Its Presence Felt

SK hynix America was launched in 2012 following rebranding of the U.S. operations of Hyundai Electronics, which started in 1983.

While much of the U.S. business centered around product and component sales and distribution in the past, the company has been solidifying its position in the high-performance memory market more recently by shifting focus to include computer servers and HBM.

SK hynix America has also achieved a quality growth over the past 10 years by diversifying its customer base to include a wide range of top-tier global technology companies. With its leadership in value-added products like HBM expected to grow further, SK hynix America will be given full support from the top management to act like an independent entity instead of being a simple sales arm of the headquarters, Park said.

The post SK hynix Top Leaders Celebrate 10th Anniversary with U.S. Employees first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

In this article, we are highlighting our colleagues at the DRAM Technical Marketing Team at SK hynix America, who are pathfinding on the technology needed for our upcoming products through future technology sensing. Through early technical collaboration and alignment, they are bringing a win-win to our customers and partners, contributing to a business success for SK hynix. They serve our American customers, one of the most important markets of SK hynix from the very heart of the Silicon Valley.

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Leading the Way

It is very difficult to consistently satisfy both individuals and the group. Our team leaders strive to create an inclusive culture where team members with various needs can freely express their opinions and share insight to move the team forward.

The Way I See It: Keith Jangryul Kim (Team Leader)

Tell us about DRAM Technical Marketing team at SK hynix: “As the head of the DRAM Technical Marketing team in SK hynix America, I’m responsible for covering all future DRAM applications, such as the DDRx, HBMx, LPDDRx, GDDRx and CXL solution. My team is great, and I really do believe that we are part of a bigger family. I think it’s important to show trust, consideration, and respect for family members, and this is exactly what I strive for within my team.”

How would you describe the company culture: “I would describe SK hynix America as a half-and-half combo chicken: one half is spicy seasoned chicken, and the other half is fried chicken. There is a mix of Korean and American culture and I try to take advantage of the two cultures. Diversity in ideas (and also food) is great, and I try to bring the best features into a good mix.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “Memory will be a key driver for the 4th industrial revolution, and SK hynix will need to focus on how our products would enable faster computations, transport, and storage of data. We really feel great when we see our ideas and tech innovations are enabled in the field, with increased customer satisfaction and expanded business opportunities.”

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The Way I See It: Yoosung Lee (Senior Manager)

Highlights of the job: “I joined DRAM Technical Marketing team in 2019 and have hosted many customer meetings and gathered their feedback on specific DRAM requirements. From the beginning of the DDR4 age, I collaborated technically with our business partners to support DDR4 launches. And now, I can proudly say that I’m one of the engineers preparing for the DDR5 era now.”

DRAM technology in simple terms: “DRAM is an essential technology in IT devices like mobile phones, data servers, laptops, and desktop computers, among others.”

Veterans

With many team members with over a decade of experience and a good understanding of customer needs, it is no wonder why our team is able to lead the industry. Our veterans demonstrate exceptional collaboration with customers and relentless market analysis that keep the team ahead of trends and drive new ideas and solutions.

The Way I See It: Steve Wang (Principal Engineer)

Role on the team: “I cover mobile, consumer, automotive, Network and ECO system from product, technology engagement and define industry trend.”

Key to team success: “We find and keep talented workforce. We have a good understanding of the industry and applications from both technology and business to focus on memory performance, capacity and efficiency. Our team has passion for the industry and we are willing to help each other with good communication skills and an open mind.”

Proudest moment: “I successfully collaborated with business partners for the HBM2E and developed an ecosystem within the industry. I also promoted SK hynix’s latest technology and products to market and defined industry, customer application trend.”

The Way I See It: Hsin-wei Tseng (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I lead engagement and alignment with some of our major customers for server, client and a type of SoC DRAM. I also lead a certain type of SoC company for DRAM technical marketing supports as well as survey emerging memory status and its trend for future memory direction.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We listen to our customers’ needs, and build strong relationships with diverse customers, focusing on providing the right solution at right time at reasonable cost. DRAM is essential for today’s computer technology and our strategic planning is enabling all of the various advanced applications for the 4th industrial revolution.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “I am most excited about the DDR5 and CXL module solutions, which will enable a whole new class of applications at both server, consumer level of applications.”

The Way I See It: Jincheol Seo (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I engage with customers for pathfinding and business on new memory products.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We relentlessly analyze the market. Especially, we collaborate with customers and propose our vision for future computing landscape. We look for ways for SK hynix to expand its wealth and growth. Sometimes, we even create new markets that allow us to grow as a company.”

Best qualities of your team: “My colleagues always strive to become an expert in their respective memory fields. Also, they are open to diverse cultures, providing a driving force in new solutions and ideas. A combination of new people and new endeavors create an advanced corporate culture of openness and acceptance. This fosters trust, making SK hynix America a better place to work.”

The Way I See It: Younsoo Kim (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I have been with SK hynix for 11 years, but have just joined the US team three months ago. I was dispatched from the engineering team at the headquarters to provide technical support for the HBMx/mobile enabling.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We repeat engineering discussions with customers to sense future technical trends. However, we also need to look further than that and come up with solutions that haven’t existed before to heal customers’ pain points, through pathfinding and repeated engineering discussions.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most: “Probably the automotive and the health care and pharmacy industries where development using AI will become a new area where the computing industry helps treat patients.”

Newcomers

The team’s wealth of industry knowledge and supportive nature toward each other make it a fantastic place to start and grow your career. Our newest colleagues are given the opportunity to learn first-hand from our industry experts, address unique challenges, and contribute to the team from the day one.

The Way I See It: Jong Myung Lee (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “Right now, I am providing technical support for DDR5 specific requirements. Additionally, I am participating in SoC customer meetings and working on the CXL-BME solution, which is a new computing interconnect standard.”

Key to team success: “We provide customized solutions to our customers by deeply understanding their key requirements, and I think that this is one of the key success drivers for SK hynix America. Our team is comfortable with communication with customers to find out their requirements, and can successfully read and predict trends in the market to prove that our recommendations are right to the customers.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most: “I find the automotive industry very exciting. With ADAS support and new convenience features in cars, there will be explosive growth in DRAM for cars, DRAM for controllers and sensors, and DRAM for connectivity solutions. Being a dominant memory supplier for the automotive market will be very successful for SK hynix in the future.”

The Way I See It: Timothy Kim (Specialist Engineer)

Role on the team: “I support our customers with any technical information related to HBM2E and HBM3, and also align with SK hynix headquarters on current issues and topics that I may discuss with customers on a regular basis. My role is to align with both customers and our headquarters on HBM requirements and work through any challenges we may encounter.”

Key to team success: “The team members work well together and are accountable for each other. Being a part of the DRAM TM team has helped me to expand my knowledge and skills, and I hope to gain more experience through career advancements.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “I am looking forward to the introduction of SK hynix’s DDR5 and successful enabling of HBM products. I believe that technological advancements will require more advanced memory solutions, and I will look forward to working with more SK hynix products that will help set future industry standards.”

The Way I See It: Hyeonji Kang (Sample Management Specialist)

Role on the team: “I am a sample management specialist in charge of a major business partner’s DDR4/DDR5 samples, and I communicate with both the business partner and SK hynix headquarters to support this.”

How would you describe the company culture: “It is very intellectually challenging and fun to work for SK hynix. Everyone in my team is very supportive and has respect for each other.”

DRAM technology in simple terms: “DRAM is a type of random-access semiconductor memory that is used for the data or program code needed by computers. It is the key component for all computing devices that we use on a daily basis.”

The Way I See It: Myung Ju Song (Specialist Engineer)

Role on the team: “I’m currently working on enabling of the CXL memory expander market with the team leader Keith and my fellow engineers at the headquarters.”

Highlights of the job: “So far this year, I was able to learn the DRAM operation, and why memory is such an important market in the silicon business. I am working on enabling the CXL memory expander. It will be a new, widespread adoption of memory expander through FlexBus (based on PCIe PHY) and it will usher in a new wave of server architecture in 2024.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most “I think AI has already impacted the world significantly even today, and its influence will only grow in the future. AI requires massive memory BW and capacity for the host CPU, and the memory requirements will only grow into the future. Perhaps with processing-in-memory technology, the future memory will be able to assist the SoCs in training and inference.”

The Way I See It: Myung Chan (Mickey) Choi (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I am working on the pathfinding for future products like DDR6 and finding solutions for hot issues (RAS, row hammer, etc.) in the industry. It is pretty challenging and interesting at the same time to come up with new ideas for solutions with team members.”

Key to team success: “My team collaborates with industry leaders, preparing and discussing future products and technology trends almost every day. This hard work allows my team to see future trends in advance and catch what customers need at an early time.”

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The post [Employee Spotlight Series]: Meet the DRAM Technical Marketing Team first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The post Sam Lee’s Ask Me Anything @ SK hynix America first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

To celebrate ‘Get to Know your Customers Day,’ we spoke with senior members who are experts in partner relations to discuss SK hynix’s approach to customer service, providing excellent service, and what the future holds for the industry at large.

In Their Words: Getting to Know Our Customers

Vis Valluri
Director, Market Intelligence I San Jose, CA

What inspired your career path? I have been involved with semiconductors for the past 24 years – first starting as a manufacturing engineer, then getting my MBA, working on Wall Street, and finally finding myself at SK hynix. I always envisioned working in a business role that provided significant value to my customers – both internal and external. I was fortunate to have worked in the various segments of the semiconductor industry and my current role in Market Intelligence requires me to have a global overview of the market and connect several of the moving parts that happen on a daily basis.

How does SK hynix put their customers first? This comes directly from the top. Our management has always demonstrated a customer-centric approach to decision making. This has led to closer and deeper interactions with our customers, resulting in all parties investing to make this successful.

Can you tell us about the “Double Bottom Line” process? At SK hynix, we aim to have an impact not only on our financials but also on our social presence as well. In California, SK hynix America is engaged in several community projects from Second Harvest food banks to providing school kits to underprivileged schools. All these have a tremendous positive impact – both for the organizations receiving the support and for the employees that participate.

Figure 1. SK hynix’s Double Bottom Line (DBL) Management System

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Where do you see the industry going? On DRAM demand, DRAM has enabled the steep growth in high performance computing (HPC) and this trend is only getting bigger. On DRAM supply, challenges on node shrinks will be a key debate and any alternatives to DRAM will be a hot topic. On the NAND side, I expect industry consolation on the supply side while NAND demand growth is expected to continue with significant room to grow in the enterprise storage market.

What 4th industrial revolution technologies are partners most excited about? They’re mostly excited about 5G, Autos, and the impact of AI beyond the datacenters – which are all industry-altering technologies in the 4th industrial revolution. Customers are all trying to leverage to one or more of these markets depending on the segments they participate in.

Alan Walker
Senior Director, Sales I Houston, TX

What is your goal when it comes to partner relationships? Having a close relationship with our customers allows us to help improve the SK hynix business overall. The technology cooperation helps us to develop better products, the strategic agreements help bring consistency to our business volume, and the executive relationships ensure both companies remain closely aligned.

How does SK hynix put their customers first? I think SK hynix demonstrates this from the CEO level down. Our executives are all customer-focused and our customers recognize and appreciate this. We make the customers feel important and that their business and partnership are important to us. We don’t talk about our relationship as a customer-supplier relationship, we talk about it as a partnership – a partnership means both sides are invested in being successful.

What makes a good customer-partner relationship? Closely aligned goals and a mutual cooperation at all levels. Our executives are very supportive of our business with my customers and this helps ensure we have clear alignment on both sides with the same goals.

How does SK hynix bring value beyond competitive pricing and delivery? Our marketing teams provide insight into market changes and forecasts for the industry, our technical teams provide leadership in new technology development and support our partners in standard setting bodies like JEDEC. The level of cooperation required to support certain customers extends far beyond just the account team.

Where do you see the industry going? I expect to see further consolidation amongst the major players in the NAND market, particularly as more competitors joining the market will add additional competition and price pressure to the market. Hopefully we will see some stability in the DRAM market as shrinks become more challenging and products more difficult to scale. We will see increasing complexity from the server market in particular as we adjust to the demands for more performance.

Joe Lee
Director, Sales I San Jose, CA

What inspired your career path? I enjoy talking to people and sharing my experience with them, whether it’s a novice idea or my experience with an electronic gadget. This probably fits well in a sales role where we regularly communicate and promote our technologies and products to customers. Furthermore, with a background in mechanical engineering and industrial engineering, I originally intended to go into the automotive industry in Detroit. It’s no coincidence that I’ve ended up working on Automotive at SK hynix after all these years.

What is your goal when it comes to partner relationships? In addition to having a strategic relationship, it is imperative that we establish mutual trust with our partners. That said, being humble, open, and transparent from all levels of the Company in every step of the way is important to earn that trust.

What makes a good customer-partner relationship? I envision a good customer-partner relationship to be one where every level in every relevant department of the two companies are engaged. Mutual trust and transparency are the key characteristics of a strong partner relationship.

How does SK hynix show that they understand their partner’s business? We often present and share marketing insights with customers including, but not limited to, technology trends and business projections. By demonstrating a leadership and authoritative role in these types of analyses, we are effectively showing them our clear understanding of their business and markets.

What do you see as future customer demands in the automotive industry? In graphics? Safety is of utmost importance for the automotive industry; thus we expect to see some stringent yet justified quality and reliability requirements from customers and standards committees. Bandwidth, performance, power efficiency and connectivity requirements will also be the key building blocks for the automotive industry. As for Graphics, we will continue to see the major DRAM suppliers competing fiercely in terms of density, speed, time-to-market and the bragging rights.

Driving Relationships Forward

Motivated by a common passion for excellent performance and service, SK hynix continues to deliver for customers and partners across our business. We rely on strong leaders within our company – including Vis, Alan and Joe – to set an example from the top on how relationships can be built, sustained and grown through mutual trust, consistency and transparency.

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We’re grateful for these partnerships and the success we’ve achieved together over the years. Into the months and years ahead, we look forward to the next chapter of growth together.

The post In Their Words: Hearing from Employees on Get to Know Your Customers Day first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Like any other business venture, a dynamic company culture requires smart, consistent investment. To foster a community of engaged, motivated – and ultimately, happy – employees, we must create a friendly, open atmosphere with opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

Planting the Seeds for VOICE

It was with this in mind that a group of SK hynix America employees came together several years ago to start VOICE (Valuable Opportunities for Interaction, Collaboration, and Engagement), an employee-led organization aiming to bring people together for enriching activities beyond the confines of work. From community service to food drives to annual picnics, the goal above all, is to promote positive cross-team interactions across the company, and contribute to local communities proactively.

It’s now been 6 years since the start of VOICE at SK hynix America in 2015, but in recent months, the organization has taken on much more importance as the global COVID-19 pandemic closed offices and changed lives around the world.

To check in on VOICE, let’s hear from three of its members – Wayne Lo, Larry Huynh and Polly Wang – on what the organization does, why it’s important and what they hope to accomplish together in the coming months and years.

Planting the Seeds for VOICE

Wayne Lo
Sales Account Manager I San Jose, CA

What is VOICE? VOICE aims to bring the company closer together through organizing and planning company-wide events. These events range from food drives to annual picnics and help foster interactions between our employees. Everyone gets a chance to meet other people within the company while having a good time!

What initiatives are you most proud of? With food bank volunteering events as well as toy and backpack drives, I really enjoy working with SK hynix to contribute to local communities. These initiatives allow us to give back to the community and really help those in need.

How is VOICE helping with remote work? Our virtual VOICE events are a great way for employees to take time out of their workday and hang out. We try to keep the events engaging and interactive so people can take their minds off work a little bit. There are even prizes that employees can win!

Larry Huynh
Corporate Recruiter I San Jose, CA

What’s your role in the VOICE organization? I’m an HR support member of the group, meaning that I contribute ideas and help out with the event operations.

What’s been your favorite initiative so far? One of the greater initiatives that I’m really proud of was our International Women’s Day event. It was amazing to see the support we received from so many people who also believe in creating a workplace that’s equal for both genders. Thinking about the current situation in the United States, I believe it was a great stride for all of us.

Figure 2. Event at SK hynix America celebrating International Women’s Day

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What’s next? I would like to see more events around diversity and inclusion — and I would also like to get even more teams and creative minds involved.

Polly Wang
Sales Manager I San Jose, CA

What’s your favorite part of participating in VOICE? I get to know what is going to happen earlier than other people! And, I’m able to participate in the decision-making process and plan events.

Any recent events you’re especially proud of? Yes, we recently organized the Walk-A-Thon Back to School event, which benefitted kids in need. Our employees were encouraged to walk for their own health, but also to help pack backpacks with important school supplies. In the end, we donated 254 backpacks to Ocala STEM Academy!

Figure 3. Walk-A-Thon Back to School event and backpacks delivery event organized by VOICE

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Why is the program meaningful to you? We care about people beyond our employees; we care about community beyond our self. We give back to our community because we appreciate what we are now.

Growing our VOICE

As we continue to build the VOICE program across even more teams and communities, we’re excited see how the creative minds of SK hynix can make an even bigger impact.

In fact, VOICE is planning a Halloween edition sequel to its Let’s reconnect challenge. Stay tuned to SK hynix America LinkedIn page for upcoming details!

¹Second Harvest: a longtime partner of SK hynix and one of the largest food banks in California

The post Introducing “VOICE” of SK hynix America first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.