Hanwha hires former Biden confidant as US government affairs chief

WASHINGTON D.C. – South Korea’s chemicals-to-defense conglomerate Hanwha Group has hired Danny O’Brien, a top aide to US President Joe Biden during his time in the Senate, and named him to oversee its external affairs in North America.

O’Brien is joining Hanwha Q Cells Co. as an executive vice president and head of US corporate affairs.

A unit of the conglomerate’s flagship company Hanwha Solutions Corp., Hanwha Q Cells is in charge of the group's solar projects in the US.

Hanwha’s move comes as getting a grip on US policy trends and networking has become crucial to doing business in the US, particularly under the Biden presidency.

O’Brien, Fox Corp.’s top lobbyist, worked as chief of staff in Biden’s Senate office from 2003 to 2006. In 2008, he joined Biden’s campaign team for the vice presidency.

He then served as chief of staff to Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez in addition to becoming the staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also worked at GE before joining Fox, where he led the company’s legislative, regulatory and policy agenda and its government relations team, in 2018.

Fox, the US cable and broadcast giant, confirmed O’Brien’s departure, according to Politico and other media outlets.

HAVING A HANDLE ON US POLICY

In his new role at Hanwha Q Cells, O’Brien will be in charge of the Korean company’s response to the US government’s policy stance.

The need for efficiently handling 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.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the US government is providing tax incentives for solar energy projects, including a $10 billion tax credit for the construction of new solar facilities. The US government has earmarked up to $30 billion in tax deductions for renewable energy projects, including solar and wind.

In January, Hanwha Solutions said it will spend $2.5 billion to expand its solar energy facilities in Georgia. Hanwha Q Cells is the leader in the US residential and commercial solar module markets.

More recently, Hanwha announced a partnership with Microsoft Corp.

ENLISTING FORMER BUREAUCRATS

For many Korean big companies, the North American market is one of their largest sources of revenue growth outside Korea. They have been hiring former US bureaucrats to gain a clearer understanding of US policy trends through strengthened networks with government officials.

Last year, Samsung Electronics Co. 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.

LG Group has also recruited Joe Hagin, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for operations under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018, to head LG’s Washington D.C. office.

POSCO Holdings Inc., parent of Korea’s largest steelmaker, last September, tapped former US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun as its adviser for business in the US.

Coupang Corp., a Korean e-commerce giant listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has named former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs Alex Wong as its chief public affairs officer in Washington.

Write to In-Seol Jeong at surisuri@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.