Attention drawn to who will lead merged entity of KTF, KT ICOM
After KTF and KT ICOM formally finalized their merger schedule and agreed to launch a merged entity March 1 this year, the mobile industry's attention is drawn to who will lead the new entity.
KTF, a unit of telecom giant KT Corp., is the country's second largest mobile carrier, and its sister wireless unit KT ICOM is scheduled to offer W-CDMA third-generation (3G) mobile service next year.
The two mobile firms have been working on the merger for the past months in a bid to streamline their wireless services and eliminate overlapping investment.
On Friday, KT said it will select a new CEO for the merged entity through public recommendations beginning today. The open selection procedure will go thorough Friday.
"The open selection procedure is designed to find a person fit for the job, and KT Group executives as well as non-KT officials are being considered," KT said.
KT is now receiving applications, but the company would not reveal who have filed applications.
People familiar with the matter, however, said the top position for the merged entity will come from KT Group, unless the telecom giant makes a drastic decision. The favorite candidate is Lee Kyung-joon, who is now CEO of KTF.
Lee took the helm of KTF just five months ago, and he pushed ahead with the merger deal with KT ICOM, an achievement that might boost his standing among CEO candidates for the post- merger KTF.
KTF will provide both cdma2000 1x EV-DO and W-CDMA 3G services later this year, a combination of two different wireless standards, if the merger procedure with KT ICOM is completed in March.
A key mission for the CEO of the post-merger KTF will be how to balance the two different services and create synergistic effect while minimizing overlapping investment.
Another candidate is none other than KT ICOM CEO Cho Young- chu. He has been leading the wireless unit since its foundation in March 2001.
KT ICOM officials said that some of KT Group executives are still skeptical of the commercial viability of W-CDMA 3G service. If the company pushes ahead with the merger with KTF with the skeptical view intact, KT ICOM employees might feel nervous about their fate, destabilizing the overall organization.
To help prop up the morale of KT ICOM employees, KT Group might go for Cho but it remains to be seen whether KT ICOM's situation warrants such attention from top decision makers.
KT executive director Nam Joong-soo is also mentioned as a key candidate. He led the IMT-2000 project and helped KT obtained the much-coveted 3G mobile license.
KT officials said the underlying principle for selecting the CEO of the new merged entity is that he or she should be an info-tech professional armed with excellent leadership to realize the potential of the company.
KTF's archrival SK Telecom has a similar mobile unit named SK IMT, which is in charge of launching W-CDMA 3G service. The merger between SK Telecom and SK IMT is also widely expected to take place before the formal launch of W-CDMA service in September this year.
(insight@koreaherald.co.kr)
By Yang Sung-jin Staff reporter
koreaherald.co.kr
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"..skeptical of the commercial viability of W-CDMA 3G service.."
Skeptical of selling expensive, slow, buggy wCDMA to a Korean population already accustomed to better?
LOL!
Who'd of thought? |
