Published : Sept. 18, 2012 - 20:40
Lee Sue-kyung, CEO of P&G Korea
Procter & Gamble Korea’s new chief executive Lee Sue-kyung said on Tuesday that her company will respond faster to market demands and changes from now on.
“P&G has suffered several times in the past in competition with Korean companies, which are very quick in both information gathering and action,” Lee said in a press conference.
“Agility is one of the three most important virtues required at P&G, along with strategic thinking and leadership skills. The ability to swiftly cope with market situations is very important for us.”
Lee, who took office in July as the first female CEO of P&G Korea in its 23 year-history, said her firm has strong growth potential and will play a leading role in the multinational consumer goods company’s e-commerce.
“P&G Korea has posted two-digit sales growths for the past four years, and sales have jumped over 50 percent compared to 2007,” Lee said in a press conference.
“P&G Korea will continue to be the hub of innovation and a trendsetter within P&G, and focus on fostering global talent.”
Despite being the fastest growing developed market in the world and having the third highest gross domestic production per capita in Asia, Korea is still P&G’s seventh largest market in Asia.
“We still have a long way to go,” said Lee who entered P&G Korea in 1994 and worked mostly in marketing.
Regarding the rising prices of daily necessities, she declined to speak about any plans to raise product prices.
She simply said her company was continuing to monitor whether its brands were measuring up to consumer values and pricing policy will be adjusted accordingly.
Mentioning that women in the U.S. account for only around 20 percent of C-level executives, such as chief marketing officers and chief operating officers, Lee said P&G makes conscious efforts for diversity by encouraging people of different cultures or genders.
P&G guarantees a year of maternal leave and flextime, or a variable work schedule, and allows a day of working at home each week.
Throughout her 28 years’ career, Lee said she did not fear or avoid challenges, the biggest of which was her transfer to Singapore four years ago as the marketing director for hair care products in Japan, ASEAN, Australia, India and Korea.
“Thanks to strong support from my husband and my son, I could take the golden opportunity for my career,” she said.
By Kim So-hyun (
sophie@heraldcorp.com)