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IBK CEO Kim's most important goal reached

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Industrial Bank of Korea CEO Kim Do-jin
Industrial Bank of Korea CEO Kim Do-jin
By Lee Kyung-min

When Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) CEO Kim Do-jin took office in December 2016, he vowed to visit all the branches across the country. Now about a month away from the end of his term, he has delivered on his pledge.

He has visited a combined 691 domestic and overseas branches and met 12,478 workers. Of 57 overseas branches, the last one was in Hong Kong, which Kim visited Nov. 14, (local time), in a brief stop on his way to China.

This means he took a business trip to rural regions at least twice a week, except when he had to attend events overseas. On some occasions, he visited 11 branches in a single day.

Branches in regions reeling from unfortunate circumstances were the first Kim went to. For example, he visited Daejeon, after the region was hit by Typhoon Soulik in August 2018.

Driven by personal conviction that the leader should care for those in need, he pushed with a pre-set schedule to visit nine branches in the city.

Many workers especially in remote areas feel deeply moved that he took an hours-long trip just to see them and their sense of belonging and purpose as IBK workers was strengthened as a result. This in turn leads to greater loyalty towards the company and deeper trust in his leadership.

"Kim is known for putting much emphasis on communication, especially face-to-face. Workers are touched that the leader of the bank is spending countless hours on the road to meet and have a conversation ― however short it may be ― with those of much lower rank," an IBK official.

The time-consuming yet rewarding effort is the continuation of his years-long practice since he was a junior salesman.

He paid visits to factories run by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) four times a week to meet with managers and CEOs there to listen to their concerns himself, something that was well received and eventually led to an enhanced sales performance.

"Having a face-to-face conversation with customers he believes is one of the most important duties and requirements of bank officials who should always remember that we cannot grow without customers," the official said.

It remains to be seen whether he will clinch a second term amid growing voices that the state-run lender needs an outside leader for a change given Kim's two predecessors were all from within the IBK.


Lee Kyung-min lkm@koreatimes.co.kr


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