Executive director of Samsung SDIKi-chae Lee now NS CEO
Goal is to expand new customers in the battery sector
Wonik IPS and Wonik PNE also recruited Samsung personnel
Developing semiconductor equipmen
Wonik Group appoints executive from Samsung as CEO of NS. NS is an electronic components manufacturing equipment company acquired by Wonik. Organizational and business fundamentals are expected to change, as Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, and other personnel from Samsung are heavily assigned to the management of major affiliates.
According to the industry on the 21st, Wonik plans to recruit Lee Ki-chae, a former executive director of Samsung SDI, and soon appoint him as CEO after going through the board of directors. Samsung SDI's main battery business is expected to strengthen.
NS is a battery and display equipment company acquired by Wonik last year. They developed assembly process equipment in the battery manufacturing process. They are the only company in Korea that makes assembly equipment that makes battery shapes and degassing equipment that prevents the risk of battery explosion. Japan's Canon is considered as NS' competitor.
NS's appointment of executive director Lee as CEO is being seen as a move to expand their new customer base. CEO Lee served as the head of the Technology Development Center, which develops advanced technologies for small batteries at Samsung SDI.
NS invested 600 million won in the second half of last year to purchase new production line sites at its third plant in Korea. They focused on strengthening their battery equipment business at a time when investment in displays is sluggish.
Wonik Group is increasingly recruiting executives from Samsung to expand its business. Last year, Wonik IPS and Wonik PNE, major affiliates of semiconductors and batteries, also acquired personnel from Samsung.
Wonik IPS appointed former vice president of Samsung SDI, Tae-hyukAhn, to head the semiconductor research institute and serve as its CEO. Director Ahn worked for Samsung Semiconductor for more than 30 years and, as the head of the System LSI Manufacturing Center, was in charge of developing mobile application processors (APs)as well as memory semiconductors. He moved to Samsung SDI and led the medium and large battery business. Following Hyun-deokLee, CEO of Wonik IPS, Director Ahn will focus on creating a foundation for global growth as a semiconductor equipment manufacturer by developing new semiconductor equipment as well as securing human resources.
Wonik PNE has also appointed Dong-chan Park as CEO. CEO Park, who formerly worked at Samsung SDI, is expanding Wonik PNE's battery formation equipment business. Wonik PNE is a battery back-end activation equipment manufacturer. Overseas battery business expansion and synergy with NS is expected. Wonik PNE, a domestic battery specialist, has grown into a company capable of manufacturing and supplying equipment forassembly and formation processes.
<Table>Wonik Group's recruitment of Samsung affiliates trend
By staff reporter Ji-woong Kim jw0316@etnews.com