Subscribe
E-Paper
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Starkey Korea CEO Richard Shim, left, shakes hands with President Moon Jae-in during the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry conference at the lobby group's head office in central Seoul last year. / Courtesy of Starkey Korea |
Starkey Korea, the Minnesota-based hearing aid maker's local branch in Korea, is fulfilling their social responsibility by helping war veterans in Korea and around the world.
Starkey Hearing Technologies, the Korean firm's U.S. headquarters, has engaged actively in various corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to help people around the world who have hearing difficulty under the company's management philosophy: "Alone we can't do much. Together, we can change the world."
Spearheading its U.S. headquarters' great cause, Starkey Korea has also emphasized its social obligation not only for the local community but also for those abroad under incumbent CEO Richard Shim's leadership.
In a bid to convey his gratitude to veterans who fought for the country during the Korean War, the CEO has offered them free audiometry and consultation services since 2013.
In 2013, Shim also donated 100 million won ($89,285) worth of hearing aids to foreign veterans who fought as the U.N. Forces during the war. He also donated 40 million won in 2014 to an Irish veteran who fought in the Korean War.
In both 2014 and 2016 Shim provided an additional 24 million and 40 million won worth of hearing aids to U.N. and Irish veterans, respectively. Earlier this year, he also conducted a free audiometry service for Dutch Korean War veterans who were invited to the country to attend the Winter Olympic Games.
Separate from his hearing aid donation to Korean War veterans, Shim has stressed the importance of world peace on the June 25th Korean War Commemoration Day every year.
 |
| Starkey Korea CEO Richard Shim, first from left, poses with Starkey Hearing Technologies founder and CEO William F. Austin, first from right, during Starkey Korea's 20th anniversary day event at the company's head office in Seoul, Feb. 19, 2016. / Courtesy of Starkey Korea |
He was recently appointed chairman of the Korea Strong Small Business Association, another organization established to support small businesses' soft landing in overseas markets.
Separate from his work for the local economy, Shim has also served as chairman of the Korea Association of the Hearing Impaired, which aims to improve the quality of life for people suffering from hearing related problems.
Starkey Korea first started its sales operation in Korea in 1996 as a local affiliate of the largest U.S. hearing aid maker Starkey Hearing Technologies. It now has the No. 1 market share and customer satisfaction rating in Korea's hearing aid industry.
Thanks to the company's customer-centered service, Starkey Korea's sales have continued to grow for years, and made Shim the longest incumbent CEO among foreign companies in Korea.
Starkey Hearing Technologies was founded by William F. Austin who opened a hearing instruments shop in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in 1967. Offering not only sales but also repair services for hearing aids of all types, the company was the only all-make hearing aid repair service provider at the time in the U.S.
The company sold less than 2,000 hearing aids in 1972 but its sales grew to some 65,000 units by 1976 after offering 90-day free trials, which allowed customers to return their hearing aids if they weren't satisfied. The policy has since become standard procedure for the hearing aid industry.
 |
| The Starkey Livio AI hearing aid |
Starkey Hearing Technologies is set to introduce the world's first hearing aid applied with artificial intelligence (AI) technology _ the Starkey Livio AI.
The Starkey Livio AI is expected to be rolled out in the U.S. market this month, and a Starkey Korea official said the product will land in the country soon.
The new hearing aid product features a real-time monitoring system via its smartphone app overseeing user's health condition. The Livio AI user can submit complaints or recommendation via the app as well.
Considering most hearing aid users are of advanced years, the hearing aid product also automatically sends a warning message to a family member or a guardian if it perceives a possible fall through its sensor.
