Samsung hires ex-US Amb. Lippert as PR chief for N.American business

WASHINGTON D.C. – Samsung Electronics Co. has hired Mark Lippert, former US ambassador to South Korea, as an executive in charge of corporate and government affairs for the tech giant in North America.

According to industry sources on Thursday, Lippert will begin his new career as executive vice president and head of corporate affairs for Samsung Electronics America next month.

Samsung and the former diplomat are currently working on their final contract, the sources said.

Once finalized, he will be based in the US capital, assuming the role held by David Steel, who left the Samsung post in mid-2021, they said.

“Having a handle on the US government’s policy stance has become more important than ever, particularly in the Biden administration,” said an industry official.

Lippert served as the US ambassador to South Korea from 2014 to 2017 under former US President Barack Obama.

During his term in Seoul, he made waves in the local media for his interest in Korean culture.

Building a reputation for being friendly and outgoing during his ambassadorship in Korea, he was also known as a true Korean baseball enthusiast. A big fan of the Doosan Bears, he was named an honorary ambassador for the Korean baseball league in 2015.

His wife Robyn gave birth to both the couple’s son and daughter in Seoul and they gave the children Korean middle names, Se-jun and Se-hee, respectively.

Graduating from Stanford University where he studied political science as an undergraduate and received a master’s degree in international studies, Lippert spent much of his career in Washington, with stints in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Following his tour as an ambassador, he worked as the vice president of Boeing International and as a senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank.

More recently, he assumed the role of YouTube’s Asia Pacific public policy chief in June 2020.

A GOOD HANDLE ON US POLICY

Samsung’s move comes as getting a grip on US policy trends and networking has become crucial for doing business in the US.

In November of last year, LG Group said it is setting up an office in Washington, joining other Korean conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai and SK to install bases in the US capital for government relations and information gathering activities.

The need for efficiently handling US government affairs has risen as the Biden administration is becoming increasingly explicit in demanding business information, even industrial secrets, from foreign firms operating in the country.

For many Korean big companies, the North American market is one of their largest sources of revenue growth outside Korea.

On the sidelines of the South Korea-US summit in May of 2021, Samsung Electronics announced it is investing $17 billion to build a new foundry plant in the US.

ENLISTING FORMER BUREAUCRATS

Other Korean companies are also hiring former US bureaucrats to gain a clearer understanding of US policy trends through strengthened networks with US government officials.

POSCO, Korea’s top steelmaker, said in September it hired former US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun as its adviser for business in the US.

Coupang Corp., a Korean e-commerce giant that listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange last March, has also named former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs Alex Wong as its chief public affairs officer based in Washington to oversee public policy matters, US government relations and engagement with an array of stakeholders.

Write to In-Seol Jeong and Shin-Young Park at surisuri@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.