Summary
Kim Dong-kwan is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Strategic Division of Hanwha Group, a prominent South Korean conglomerate. He was promoted to Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group on Aug. 29, 2022, subsequently taking on the role of CEO for both Hanwha’s Strategy Division and Hanwha Aerospace’s Strategy Division. His promotion is widely seen as the commencement of the third-generation management era for Hanwha Group.
Hanwha Group leads several future-oriented businesses, including Hanwha Solutions’ solar energy business and Hanwha Aerospace’s defense and aerospace business. The group has recently acquired Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean), focusing on creating synergies in energy and defense sectors.
Kim Dong-kwan was born on Oct. 31, 1983, as the eldest son of Kim Seung-youn, the chairman of Hanwha Group. His mother is the granddaughter of Seo Jeong-hwa, a former Minister of the Interior.
From a young age, Kim was an exceptional student. He was famously known for consistently being at the top of his class during his time at Gujeong Middle School (now Apgujeong Middle School). He later graduated from the prestigious St. Paul’s School in the United States and was admitted to Harvard University. During his time at Harvard, he was recognized for his leadership, serving as the president of the Korean Students Association.
Unlike other heirs of major conglomerates who often pursue master’s or MBA degrees after undergraduate studies, Kim returned to South Korea immediately after graduating from Harvard’s Department of Political Science. In August 2006, he enlisted as a candidate in the 117th class of the Korean Air Force Officer Training School and served as an interpreter officer until December 2009, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant.
After completing his military service, Kim joined Hanwha Group in 2010 as a manager. Starting as the Planning Director of Hanwha SolarOne in 2011, he has been leading the group’s future growth business in the solar energy sector.
In 2015, as the Sales Director (Executive Director) of Hanwha Q CELLS, he played a pivotal role in turning the company profitable. Although Hanwha Q CELLS had been incurring losses from 2011 until the first quarter of 2015, the company achieved a turnaround in the second quarter of 2015, following a 1.5GW module supply contract with NextEra Energy. His promotion to Executive Director of Hanwha Q CELLS in December 2015 contributed significantly to the company’s record-breaking performance. In September 2020, he was promoted to President and CEO of Hanwha Solutions. On Nov. 14, 2019, he had a private wedding ceremony in Europe, following a decade-long relationship with a colleague from Hanwha Group.
Timeline
▲ May 2002 = Graduated from St. Paul High School in the United States.
▲ May 2006 = Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Harvard University in the United States.
▲ 2010 = Joined Hanwha Group as a Deputy General Manager.
▲ August 2013 = Became the Head of Strategic Marketing at Hanwha Q CELLS.
▲ September 2014 = Took the position of Sales Manager at Hanwha SolarOne.
▲ December 2014 = Appointed as a Managing Director at Hanwha Q CELLS.
▲ December 2015 = Promoted to Executive Director at Hanwha Q CELLS.
▲ January 2020 = Vice President and Head of Strategy at Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Solutions.
▲ September 2020 = Promoted to President, representing the Strategy Division of Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Solutions.
▲ March 2021 = Inside Director at Hanwha Aerospace and Head of Space Hub.
▲ August 2022 = Promoted to Vice Chairman, leading the Strategy Division at Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Solutions, and Hanwha Aerospace.
▲ April 2023 = Appointed as a Senior Advisor at Sandbrook Capital.
▲ May 2023 = Became a Non-Executive Director at Hanwha Ocean.
