This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day and all of the hard-working mothers at SK hynix, we spoke to women across our global network to discuss motherhood, their work-life balance, and what advice they have for mothers returning to the workforce.

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Polly Wang (SK hynix America)
San Jose, California
Joined SK hynix in March 2014
One daughter: 8-year-old

• What she does?

I am a Sr. Account Manager and started by managing Apple NAND business, contract and pricing negotiation before switching to Apple DRAM business in early 2020. I work with Korea and local teams to define business opportunities and risks through day-to-day activities in commercial, operational and enabling arenas.

• How she does it?

Through years in high-tech industry and living in the fast-pace Silicon Valley, I learned to manage work and family with extra planning and preparation. I usually start my day with quick glance on work emails, set priority and plan on tackling the pending issues and tasks. I use my morning exercise to review my tasks again, while also planning family meals. Knowing what to do next with a clear mind makes my day go smoother and more efficient.

• How do you separate work and home?

Like every family, the most challenging part is always about balancing work and family. Instead of separating work and home, I manage to mix these two very well throughout the workday. I take breaks to prepare meals and do housework while still planning my work ahead in order to minimize interruption during our family time.

SK hynix also has a clear work-from-home policy and safety procedure that addressed our concern during this pandemic time.

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Sunmin Yun (SK hynix Memory Solutions America)
San Jose, California
Joined SK hynix in 2019
One daughter: 1-year-old

• Her day-to-day?

I have been working as a Senior Staff Engineer of NAND/SSD Characterization in SKHMS America as a member of Media algorithm team. My primary job is to develop and implement EOL(End-of-Life) reliability tests with the eRDT system and give customers and internal teams feedback. I am also participating in the development of new algorithms to improve performance and reliability.

• Her work/life balance?

During the COVID pandemic, my husband and I have shared a daily schedule and it has helped each other. For example, if I have a meeting at 1 pm, my husband plays with our daughter and returns to work after my meeting. Luckily, our meeting schedules were not often overlapped. The flexible working environment help mothers balance work and parenting better.

• Why SK hynix?

SK hynix has a very mother-friendly culture and resources. When I joined SKHMS America, I found a cozy mother’s room in the building and was impressed. I was able to pump breastmilk and take a rest in the room. A mother-supportive team leader and co-workers have always helped me to have a flexible work schedule and be confident as a working mom.

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He Qian (SK hynix Semiconductor (Chongqing) Ltd.)
Chongqing, China
Joined SK hynix in February 2014
1 son: 4-year-old

• What she does?

I served as the head of the production management shift team for 3 years and in May 2017, I was promoted to mother and transferred to the ordinary work after working in three shifts to take up the role of education and expenses in the department.

• How she does it?

As a working mother in the manufacturing industry, there is no fixed life, only sudden changes, and at the same time children can’t stay still as they are overflowing with energy. Therefore, I try my best to maintain a harmonious family relationship, mobilize the members of the family to share daily chores and drive my husband to play and study with the children.

At the same time, I also try to be rational and patient to distinguish between work and daily life. I am conscientious and responsible at work, and accompany children attentively, so that the pressure and emotions at work will not affect the harmonious atmosphere of the family, and of course, the attitude at work must not be affected by home life as well.

• What she’s proudest of?

When I returned to my job after taking maternity leave, I was catching up with the company organizing a band competition. As a musician, I needed to prepare for the band competition while completing normal business, but the child had a sudden illness before the competition.

I was really exhausted physically and mentally, but I did not fall down because of the understanding and help from my family and my dear colleagues in the department who worked together to successfully complete the band competition. Although I didn’t win the prize in the end, I was very proud of having such a great colleague and partner, loving and understanding family, and proud of being such a superhuman mother.

Hongxia Zhao (SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd.)
Wuxi, China
Joined SK hynix in 2008

• Her day-to-day?

I am a manager of SK hynix’s technical improvement department. Our team name: RD Beauty Group, my team is all Women.

• Why SK hynix?

My career growth is inseparable from SK hynix. After graduating from university, I changed jobs a lot including personnel, R&D, administration, etc. I always felt that it was not my ideal job. Until the moment I joined SK hynix in 2008, I felt right, and then in the blink of an eye I have been working in this place for 14 years, and I feel I will continue to do it.

• What she’s learned from motherhood?

After I became a mother, I discovered that the identity of a mother is added to my work. First of all: I am more responsible. The so-called mother is strong. After having a child, I became more mature, more responsible and consistent. Second: I treat work and subordinate employees with patience for children, and the work environment for employee relations is more harmonious and caring.

• What she wants to change?

Many people stubbornly think that women can’t care about work when they have children and the unfounded notions caused current working mothers to be restricted by their positions and ceilings in the workplace. Even many women in the workplace are afraid to have children, but I hope everyone can change their views and provide a good working environment for women in the workplace.

Elena Korunnaya (SK hynix Memory Solutions Eastern Europe)
Belarus, Minsk
Joined SK hynix in 2014
Three children: 19-year-old, 15-year-old, 3-year-old

• What she does?

I am a part of an Administration team as a Chief accountant, and I am working in the company from its foundation. It is going to be seven years since my working here. I remember how everything started: how we built our team, changed two offices and dealt with every situation. I like my job because it makes me learn every day.

• Her work/life balance?

It is very important for me to become a great accountant because I am very inspired by my work. At the same time, spending time with my family is just as valuable to me as my career. It is not so easy to keep up to do many things at work and home, but without the support of family members, it would be impossible.

SKHMS E is a “family-friendly” company. The management is sympathetic to the fact that I am a mother of many children. This attitude helps me to find a balance between work and family. In addition, I have an excellent team that always supports me and helps solve any problem.

• What’s special about SK hynix?

Our company also has a wonderful tradition – to celebrate Family Day every year. Before we started work remotely, we came to the office with the children and they could see where their mother works, what important and responsible position she occupies. It helps them understand that a mother is not just a mother but also a professional.

I am happy to work at a company where a person’s love for their family is understood, respected and supported with additional family days off throughout the year and different family corporate events.

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The post Mother’s Day 2021: Celebrating our mothers at SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• The resolution of certain cut scenes of this video is comparatively low as this interview was shot remotely in accordance with social distancing protocols.
• All group photos diplayed in this video were taken before COVID-19 outbreak.

The post The Innovators – Priya Lanka, Engineering Manager @ SK hynix memory solutions America first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

At SK hynix, we recognize that the strength of our company and the prowess of our products are only as good as our people. That’s why our people, the communities they’re part of, and the communities we serve have always been our highest priority. When crises hit, corporate culture and social good initiatives are elevated to even higher importance.

So, at the onset of this global health crisis, our corporate social responsibility teams got to work activating local support plans across our global network.

United States

In the United States, SK hynix America and SK hynix memory solutions (SKHMS) America in San Jose, California, donated 50,000 surgical masks and $500,000 to communities in need in Silicon Valley.

At the beginning of May, members of our local teams visited Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC) in San Jose to deliver the masks, which will be sent to healthcare workers who are battling against COVID-19. The monetary donation will go towards organizations that help local communities affected by COVID-19, including the Silicon Valley Strong Fund, which supports low-income families in Silicon Valley, and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a longtime partner of SK hynix and one of the largest food banks in the state.

Figure 2. Acknowledge letter from Second Harvest

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Figure 3. Second Harvest website thanking SK hynix for its support

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On the company’s contribution, Michael Elliott, COO of VMC foundation said, “Tremendous thank you to SK hynix. Face masks are needed in high numbers because we are using so many in every hospital on a daily basis to protect healthcare workers and that is really critical right now.”

Belarus

In Belarus, where we have our Minsk R&D subsidiary, the hospitals continue to lack proper protective equipment for doctors and a great burden lies on medical workers. At the onset of the crisis, SKHMS Eastern Europe (SKHMS E) acted decisively and generously to aid the government’s healthcare efforts.

On March 27, SKHMS E donated $10K to the Ministry of Health to help combat the country’s growing crisis. As the pandemic continues to spread, and the number of cases continues to increase in Belarus, SKHMS E will extend its charitable efforts even further.

China

In China, our Chongqing office has executed several community-based activities to support frontline workers and vulnerable groups. Throughout April, the company donated over 4,500 KF94 medical masks, over 8,800 masks for children and over 450 bottles of hand sanitizer to the 3rd Social Welfare Institution of Chongqing and primary schools in Chongqing.

Figure 4. An SK hynix employee gifting consolation goods to
hospital workers on Nurse’s day

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To celebrate the 109th International Nurses’ Day in May and to pay tribute to the medical staff dedicated to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the company organized a “Salute, Dedication, and Thanksgiving” event for local healthcare workers. In addition to offering flowers to medical staff, volunteers also prepared gratitude packages, small flower baskets, and multi-layer cakes for over 345 nurses.

Figure 5. Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation donated quarantine
supplies to its community

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Additionally, our office in Wuxi alongside its subsidiary, Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation, donated quarantine supplies to “Wuxi Xinwu District Charity Federation” on February 18. Wuxi SK hynix Happiness Foundation was established in 2016 to take the lead in social responsibility by providing substantial support to vulnerable groups and is responsible for all of the office’s CSR activities including Happy Umbrella.

Giving Back for Good

All of these efforts across are our way of saying “thank you” to the people who keep our company – and our communities – running, especially during times of crisis. Right now, with normal life upended and uncertainty on the horizon, we must learn to rely on each other for support. And for SK hynix, that means doing what we can, where we can, to make an impact on the communities that surround us.

The post Stepping Up in Times of Crisis: SK hynix Supports Local Communities During COVID-19 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

And to celebrate upcoming Mother’s Day and all of the incredible, hard-working mothers at SK hynix, we spoke to women across our global network – from Icheon to Minsk – to discuss motherhood, work-life balance, and what makes mothers such valuable team members, colleagues and leaders.

Jun Mo Kim (SK hynix Inc.)

Icheon, South Korea
Joined SK hynix in 2005
One daughter (8-years-old)

Figure 1. Jun Mo Kim, SK hynix Inc.

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Her day-to-day: It’s been 16 years since I first joined the company. Now, I work on the Solution Tech Strategy Team, which mainly works to establish an operating plan for mobile products. By separating my weekdays and weekends as much as possible, I try to focus on my family on weekends, and focus on my work during the weekdays. I also try to work at the office even if I have to work late so that I can fully switch to the mother and wife mode after work is done.

Why she’s stayed so long at SK hynix: There was no time to get bored! Even though I’ve spent most of my career in sales and marketing, I’m still learning new things all the time.

My pregnancy period was one of the biggest challenges during my career at SK hynix, but I was able to overcome the difficulties and was thankful for the help from my teammates and leaders.

Her motivation: In the meantime, the support of my family has also been a long-standing force for me. When I feel this help, I promise to be a better person as a mother and wife, and I will reflect this attitude in my work attitude.

Alena Strapko (SK hynix memory solutions Eastern Europe)

Minsk, Belarus
Joined SK hynix in June 2014
Two daughters: Anastasia (4-years-old) and Eva (2-years-old)

Figure 2. Alena Strapko, SK hynix memory solutions Eastern Europe

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What she does: I am responsible for failure analysis (FA) in the Mobile Firmware code that runs on SAFE simulator and finding ways to fix them. I also participate in the development of the tools that help to do FA faster, as I use my own FA experience to make them more efficient.

How she does it: One has to make compromises, but the key is to finish everything in time. I rely on the support of my husband, my colleagues and the company to make my work-life balance possible. My husband is so helpful at home, and I am thankful to have kind and understanding colleagues as well. And from the company, flexible working hours guaranteed by the company are so important.

I also use different planners, apps, and other resources to keep track of my never-ending to-do’s. I add events to a shared calendar so that my husband can easily see what’s coming up and help out.

What’s special about SK hynix? After all the years I have spent with the company, we have become like a family. I have many friends among colleagues, and I like our friendly team. Recently, the company organized an office excursion for employees’ children and my girls and husband were happy to see how the company looks from the inside and get to know my colleagues.

What she’s learned from motherhood: Our children make us more patient, flexible and able to multitask. Now I can manage to feed and play with my children and respond to emails from my workplace at the same time. Before, I didn’t even imagine that such a thing was possible!

Li Hui (SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd.)

Wuxi, China
Joined SK hynix in 2006
Two children (8-years-old, 5-years-old)

Figure 3. Li Hui, SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd.

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Her day-to-day: I am currently an expert engineer responsible for the system management in SK hynix Wuxi FAB and I have been working at the company for over 13 years. My husband is currently in Korea, and my father stays with me to help to care for the children. I focus on work during work hours and focus on childcare after work.

Why SK hynix? This job and this company have always been very suitable for me. There are many learning opportunities, challenges, meaningful and fulfilling moments. Even during my time here, SK hynix has made many efforts to create a better working environment for women and mothers. The company’s leaders are considerate of the challenges we face in caring for both our families and our jobs.

What she’s proudest of: While we were working through two massive migration operations of the company’s computer system, I was 5 months pregnant with my second child. Withstanding the work was challenging, but the most meaningful moment was seeing the success of the migration, after the birth of my child. Over time, it’s been incredible to watch our system grow and improve as I watch my children do the same.

Priya Lanka (SK hynix memory solutions America Inc.)

San Jose, California
Joined SK hynix in 2013
Two sons (12-years-old, 10-years-old)

Figure 4. Priya Lanka, SK hynix memory solutions America Inc.

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What she does: I am a Product & Applications Engineering manager in SKHMS A which is part of Systems Engineering group. This role requires sound technical understanding of solid-state drive (SSD) product features, specifications, and test infrastructure. It also needs good communication and failure analysis skills.

How she does it: I consider myself lucky to have a very supportive husband. There are times when I call him last minute to pick up kids, and he will gladly do it for me. There are times when my business travel gets extended unexpectedly, but I never hear a complaint from him. I can completely focus on work knowing kids are safe and taken care of. We support each other and do our part in navigating the demands of work and family.

The challenging part has to be the mental transition from home-to-work and work-to-home on a daily basis – context switching, juggling between the two roles, and making sure the ball is not dropped in either case.

What she’s learned from motherhood: The tech industry is about collaboration and problem-solving. Mothers bring in soft skills that complement the hard skills many already possess. This not only helps in problem-solving but also helps in building and nurturing teams. We are go-getters. Women navigate challenges flawlessly at home, and given a chance, we can do the same at work.

What she wants to change: There is a perception in the industry that a woman who is married with kids cannot commit herself to her work, or at least not at 100%. This is not at all true. Providing mothers-at-work trust instead of skepticism encourages them to perform at their highest levels.

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Our motivation

SK hynix continues to look for innovative solutions to develop the work and life balance for all of our employees by complying with SK Management System (SKMS), which is SK group’s principles for management pursuing stakeholders’ happiness and well-being including our employees. We are proud of the culture being built because our leadership is underlining the importance of trust and belongingness, like the ones you’d find within your own family.

We are always so glad to hear from some of our great mothers who overcome adversity every day to excel at where they are now, and we admire their expertise and commitment to inspire the industry and workforce as a whole. To all the dedicated mothers across the world, happy Mother’s Day from SK hynix!

The post In Her Words: Celebrating all of the Mothers at SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

On May 4th, SK hynix America Inc. and SKHMS America visited Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC) in San Jose and delivered 50,000 surgical masks on behalf of SK hynix Headquarters in South Korea. These masks will be sent to healthcare workers who are battling against COVID-19 to keep the communities safe and healthy.

Michael Elliott, COO of VMC foundation said, “This face mask donation comes at a proper time. Tremendous thank you to SK hynix. Face masks are needed in high numbers because we are using so many in every hospital on a daily basis to protect healthcare workers and that is really critical right now.”

SK hynix also donated USD 500,000 to organizations that help the communities affected by COVID-19; the organizations include Silicon Valley Strong Fund supporting low-income families in Silicon Valley, and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which is one of the largest food banks in the states.

Sam Lee, Head of SK hynix America Inc., said, “I couldn’t be more proud of how our company has come together to support those in need. Our contributions to the communities around us show how much SK hynix cares about and puts effort into creating social values and keeping all stakeholders happy.” Tony Yoon, Head of SKHMS America, added, “It’s very meaningful to be able to contribute to the communities in the US, especially in the time of COVID-19. I am happy that SK hynix supports healthcare workers and low-income families who are going through tough and challenging times.”

About SK hynix Inc., SK hynix America Inc., SK hynix memory solutions America Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), Flash memory chips (“NAND Flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally.
SK hynix America Inc. operates as a sales and technical service subsidiary of SK hynix Inc. for leading customers in the US.
SK hynix memory solutions America Inc. (SKHMS America) is one of the subsidiaries of SK hynix Inc., which provides industry-leading memory controller, advanced flash management systems, and firmware for NAND based storage solutions.

The post SK hynix donates 50,000 masks and USD 500,000 to aid COVID-19 relief efforts first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

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Successful, high-achieving teams all share a simple formula. They are made up of many individual players – each one an expert in their particular role – who work well together towards a common goal. Different skill sets, perspectives and proficiencies combine to create a well-balanced, dynamic group. One that is fortified by the width of its foundation and propelled by the strengths of its members. It is this type of team that has the ability to approach a challenge from all angles, and to then create solutions holistically.

This is just the type of team that SK hynix has built – both here in the U.S. and in markets across the world. Over the years, the company has worked actively and strategically to grow its offerings in key sectors across the memory and semiconductor industries. In each of these endeavors and acquisitions, SK hynix is looking first and foremost for good teammates – for highly-skilled, proven partners who will help the group at large achieve its overall goals.

At SK hynix, we know that our group is only as strong as its individual parts; which is why we’ve made sure each of our parts is the very best in their respective fields. One of our memory solutions R&D subsidiaries—SK hynix memory solutions America Inc. (SKHMS America) —is a prime example of the implementation and success of this strategy.

“We work very closely as “One team” with the SSD controller and Systems Engineering teams in San Jose, and also the greater SK hynix team in South Korea and our team in Belarus,” said Tim Schafer, Vice President of the Enterprise SSD Firmware Team at SKHMS America.

In 2012, SK hynix acquired Link_A_Media Devices Corporation (LAMD) , a privately-owned storage solutions company that had been providing custom System-on-Chip solutions (SoCs) for the HDD and SSD storage markets for nearly a decade. At the time, LAMD was one of three companies in the world that was developing high performance NAND solutions for all segments of the storage solution market – including enterprise systems, PCs, smartphones, and tablets, etc. In eight years, the company shipped over 14 million SoCs.

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After its acquisition by SK hynix, LAMD became SK hynix memory solutions, and later changed its name to SK hynix memory solutions America Inc. in 2018. Today, SKHMS America operates as a separate R&D subsidiary located in San Jose, CA, that offers customized NAND-based solutions for SK hynix and a group of global customers. It provides industry-leading controllers, advanced flash management systems, and firmware for NAND-based storage solutions spanning enterprise, client and mobile market segments.

“We are developing eSSD drives combining raw NAND memory devices and SoC/FW to add more value such as more reliable data retention/protection and higher data access performance,” explained Jay Jang, Vice President of SoC group of SKHMS America.

The integration of the controller solution know-how of SKHMS America combined with the advanced flash memory systems architecture, NAND, firmware, and DRAM technologies as well as the manufacturing capabilities of SK hynix is producing leading-edge products across multiple market segments. Such a full vertical integration, coupled with high-volume manufacturing capability, is quite rare in the industry and allows our customers to have a one-stop storage solution provider with the quality, support and expertise that the industry demands.

“It is rare to have architecture, chip design, firmware development, hardware design, solution validation, problem solving, and customer support engineering resources under one roof but SKHMS America intentionally sets up this structure to ensure inclusiveness and cohesiveness for all its talented employees,” said Chee Hoe Chu, Vice President of Systems Engineering at SKHMS America.

SK hynix is a relative newcomer to enterprise SSDs. However, it has been growing its market share, providing a more and more diverse portfolio as the years pass by. Tim said, “Because we are relatively new, we must be focused, more efficient, and more agile than our more mature competitors. We are very focused on deeply engaging with a smaller amount of customers so we can learn with them. We’ve grown our market share, and the challenge that we are preparing for over the next few years is to scale our business to a much larger customer base.”

Chee Hoe emphasized that although SKHMS America was still an infant in enterprise storage landscape, it was empowered by passionate personnel who had years of dependable development experiences. He added, “We have employees who yearn to learn what matters to our customers and learn from every big and small mistakes we made. We value the outcome of our business and the reputation of our work. While we are very determined to gain market share, we want to do so without sacrificing quality and trust. To achieve these, the formidable workforce at SKHMSA are always ready to go many extra miles.”

The combined focus of SK hynix and SKHMS America provides excellent opportunity to become a market leader in enterprise, client and mobile storage segments. Together, we make a cohesive team that delivers quality products, pushes boundaries and moves the industry forward toward innovation.

“SKHMSA is a strong contender in enterprise storage sector, with its sleeves rolled up, ready to overcome any hardship along the way,” said Chee Hoe.

The post Introducing SK hynix memory solutions America Inc. in San Jose, USA first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.