November 23, 2024

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Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun (Samsung C&T)

Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun, the younger sister of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, visited Italy on her first business trip after her recent comeback to a management role in the company, according to industry sources, Thursday.

Lee reportedly visited Milan to attend Milan Design Week (MDW) 2024, the world's largest design and furniture fair, which attracts more than 2,300 exhibitors and 370,000 visitors from more than 180 countries. Samsung Electronics also participated in the event with an outdoor exhibition sharing its design philosophy.

Lee reportedly visited Samsung Electronics’ exhibition without making any public appearances, the sources noted.

Milan is an important place for Samsung Group, particularly for the company's design innovation, led by late Chairman Lee Kun-hee. In April 2005, Lee was known to have convened key executives in Milan for a meeting on design and stressed the critical role of design in its future products.

The sources said Lee Seo-hyun could follow in her father’s legacy and continue to stress product design innovation.

Before working at Samsung Group, Lee majored in design at Parsons Design School in New York. She then joined Cheil Industries in 2002 as a manager in the fashion division. She took a step back from corporate management in 2018 while taking on the chair role at Samsung Welfare Foundation and served as the head of the advisory board at Leeum Museum of Art.

Lee assumed the role of president of Samsung C&T, in charge of strategic planning, on April 1, following a corporate hiatus of five years and three months since December 2018.

“She is expected to contribute to enhancing the brand competitiveness of Samsung C&T based on her experience as president of Samsung C&T's fashion division and president of Cheil Worldwide's strategy,” the company said previously.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)
The Korea Herald