Lee Seo-Hyun, the sister of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-Yong, is making a return to frontline management as the president of Samsung C&T after a break of five years. Samsung C&T announced on the 29th that Lee, who has been concurrently serving as the director of Samsung Global Research CSR and the chairman of Samsung Welfare Foundation, will be joining as the president in charge of strategic planning. 

She will continue to hold her positions as the chairman of Samsung Welfare Foundation and the operation committee chairman of Samsung Museum Leeum. The Samsung C&T management team sought her recruitment for the elevation of the brand and preparation for the future, a decision that President Lee accepted. Her role will include drafting mid-to-long term strategies across all business sectors that Samsung C&T is involved in, including construction, trading, fashion, and resorts.

“Based on her work experience as the president of Samsung C&T’s fashion division and the president in charge of business strategy at Cheil Worldwide, along with her successful know-how in Samsung’s cultural business and social contribution sectors, we expect President Lee to contribute to the enhancement of Samsung C&T’s brand competitiveness,” said a Samsung representative.

President Lee, the second daughter of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee, majored in Design at Parsons School of Design in the United States and joined Cheil Industries as the head of the fashion research lab in 2002. She climbed the corporate ladder and held various positions including the vice president in charge of business strategy in the fashion division at Cheil Industries, the president in charge of business planning in the fashion division at Samsung Everland, the department head of business strategy at Cheil Worldwide, and the president in charge of business planning in the fashion division at Samsung C&T.

In late 2018, she stepped back from frontline management and took on the roles of chairman at Samsung Welfare Foundation and operation committee chairman at Samsung Museum Leeum. Since August 2022, she has been serving as an advisor at Samsung Global Research CSR, overseeing the group’s social contribution activities.