SK Group top leadership to review sustainable growth strategies in Paris

SK Chair man Chey Tae-won, left, and the President of Estonia Alar Karis [Courtesy of SK]

SK Group is holding a seminar in Paris, where top executives from all its subsidiaries will gather. According to the group’s announcement on Sunday, the executives will discuss global strategies for the group’s core businesses during the three-day seminar, which starts on Monday.

The CEO seminar is one of the group’s major events and will take place alongside the expanded management meetings and the Icheon Forum. This year, approximately 30 executives are participating in the seminar, including Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK Supex Council Chairman Cho Dae-sik. Participants will review the implementation of growth strategies at major subsidiaries while assessing the impact of macroeconomic issues.

This year’s seminar is likely to place a heavier focus on examining external variables compared to previous years, given the rising oil prices and the weak Korean won against the U.S. dollar, along with potential supply chain disruptions fueled by the expansion potentials of the Israel-Hamas conflict into neighboring countries, in addition to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The CEO seminar often serves as a barometer for year-end personnel shuffling. According to an unnamed source familiar with the group, an approximately month-long evaluation of the group executives will take place following the seminar. “Depending on the assessments, there may be CEO replacements at the regular personnel shakeup scheduled for December 1,” the source said.

Chey has had a particularly busy travel schedule to handle group management and to promote Busan as the host city for the 2030 World Expo. Last week, Chey participated in a symposium held at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris in his capacity as the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

On Friday, Chey met with Alar Karis, the President of Estonia, and high-ranking officials in Seoul. SK Group and Estonia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as information, communications, and technology, as well as renewable energy.