Samsung Elec looks to Google, Apple alumni for future growth

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s top memory chip and smartphone maker, has tapped more alumni from US Big Tech companies such as Google, Apple Inc. and Meta Platform Inc. as executives for future growth engines including artificial intelligence.

The South Korean tech giant earlier this month hired Ryu Kyung Dong, who led the advancement of Google’s car software platform Android Automotive, as an executive vice president at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the group’s research and development hub, according to industry sources on Monday in Seoul.

The doctorate holder in computer science from the University of Maryland is expected to head Samsung’s development of next-generation technology on AI computing infrastructures for mobility and other businesses.

Ryu worked for IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, the headquarters of the US tech behemoth’s research division, for more than a decade and LG Electronics Inc., Samsung’s rival in the home appliances sector, before joining Google.

GOOGLE, APPLE, META

He is not the only Samsung executive from Google.

Lee Won-Jin, Samsung president for smartphone and TV service platforms, worked for the US company’s new products and solutions business for nearly seven years. Lee Haechang, an executive vice president for next-generation sensors for automobiles, led the devices’ hardware and algorithm development at Google.

Lim Suk Hwan, who was in charge of Google’s imaging and vision organization unit, is the head of semiconductor R&D at Samsung Research America.

Samsung also has executives from Apple and Meta. Seven former Apple employees including Yang Se Young, an executive vice president for hardware engineering, are working at Samsung. Lee Ji, an executive vice president for global creative and social media, and three alumni from Meta found positions at the South Korean company. Lee was a creative director at both Meta and Google.

Samsung employees have mixed views on hiring these executives from global major companies. Some staff said the senior managers revitalized the company, while others said they were overly evaluated due to their careers at Big Tech names.

Write to Jeong-Soo Hwang at hjs@hankyung.com
 
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.