Samsung Electronics said Thursday it has carried out a reshuffle of its executives in its smartphones and home appliances units, the first high-level moves made since it has been embroiled in a corruption scandal.

“The company has decided to carry out the reshuffle as further delaying it, after failing to do so last year, would lower the metabolism of the organization,” a Samsung Electronics spokesperson said, meaning the continued tenure of the retirees-to-be has created congestion for personnel and organizational discipline.

The much-awaited personnel moves also came two days after the election of the country’s 19th president, Moon Jae-in.

The Korean tech giant has typically carried out reshuffles and appointments of its executives and CEOs in December. However, Samsung delayed last year’s appointments after the company was thrown into a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye and arrest of Lee Jae-yong, the group’s de facto leader, for suspected bribery.

Samsung said it promoted 54 executives, including six to executive vice president positions, 11 to senior vice president and 30 to vice president. Five were promoted to advisory executives and two were promoted to master seniors. There are two new executives with foreign nationalities, Joseph Stinziano and John Herrington, and two new female executives, Lee Ae-young and Lee Hye-jeong.

The new executive vice presidents are: Kim Seog-gi, visual display enterprise business chief; Kim Jeong-hwan, Central and South America supervisor; Lee Sang-hun, consumer electronics mecca solutions head; Lee Jae-seung, consumer electronics business development chief; Hong Hyung-chil, Southwest Asia regional supervisor; and Hwang Jung-wook, mobile communications global hardware development head.

Samsung Electronics is also expected to announce reshuffles in its chip and display units as early as Friday and gradually for other affiliates, including Samsung Display, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics. As for the chip business, the number of promoted executives is predicted to be larger than last year, considering its continued strong performance.

The naming of CEOs is expected to be carried out around or after August when Lee Jae-yong’s trial is set to end. Samsung is currently without a control tower to appoint CEOs since the strategy office was dismantled in February. There are about 40 CEO posts in the group.

In February, Samsung carried out personnel moves and promotions for non-executive and lower-ranking employees.

 By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)