Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee meets chip, auto CEOs in Paris

[Photo by Yonhap]

Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Jay Y. Lee, who is in Paris to support the South Korean team participating in the Summer Olympic Games, is also meeting with officials in the political, business, and sports scenes, with an aim to expand global ties.

Lee, who departed for France on July 24, is meeting with leaders of global semiconductor, information technology, and automotive companies who are also in Paris.

Among them is former ASML Holding N.V. CEO Peter Wennink. Lee is expected to discuss potential cooperation during his meeting with Wennink.

It is Lee’s first visit to an Olympic venue in 12 years since the 2012 London Olympics.

On Thursday, Lee attended a luncheon for global business leaders at the Élysée Palace in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The luncheon was attended by around 40 global business leaders, including Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, Coca-Cola Co. CEO James Quincey, YouTube Inc. CEO Neal Mohan, Eli Lilly and Co. CEO Dave Ricks, and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault.

Lee exchanged opinions with the attendees on global economic prospects, future technology trends, and organizational culture innovation, according to sources.

On the same day, Lee, along with former Leeum Museum of Art director Hong Ra-hee, attended the welcoming dinner for the Paris Olympics, co-hosted by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and President Macron at the Louvre Museum.

Lee is leveraging his extensive global network to meet with figures from various fields, serving as a private diplomat, while visiting locations where Korean athletes are competing.

On Saturday, Lee, along with IOC member Kim Jae-youl, watched the men‘s sabre individual final at the Grand Palais and supported Oh Sang-uk, who won the first gold medal for the Korean team.

Samsung Electronics has been an Olympics sponsor for over 40 years, aiming to raise its global brand value, a key intangible asset and source of corporate competitiveness, according to the vision of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Samsung is the only Korean company among the 15 top-tier Olympic sponsors of the IOC.