KEB and Hana merger, elect Ham Yeong-ju as first-term president

Hana Financial Group (Chairman: Kim Jung-tae) announced on Sept. 1, 2015 that it officially launched ‘KEB Hana Bank’, the integration of Hana Bank and Korea Exchange Bank (KEB), and that it elected Ham Yeong-ju, former deputy president of Hana Bank, as the first president of KEB Hana Bank. The leading financial group held the ceremony of launching the integrated bank on the same day at its headquarters in downtown Seoul. With merger of the two leading banks in Korea, KEB Hana Bank emerged as one of the largest banks in the country.

In his congratulatory remarks made at the inauguration ceremony, Chairman Kim Jung-tae of Hana Financial Group stated, “Now that KEB Hana Bank is launched, Hana Financial Group established foundation for jumping up to a world’s top-notch financial group. We need to build new corporate culture of developing the Bank in unison through cooperation between diverse members based on mutual respect and consideration.” “I am excited to appoint Ham Yeong-ju as the inaugural president of KEB Hana Bank as he is the most suitable leader with full confidence of employees, on-the-job executive ability and innovative ideas.”

Upon inauguration, President Ham Yeong-ju of KEB Hana Bank stressed, “In order to build a leading bank both in scale and capability as well as to grow into the world-class bank, we need to concentrate efforts on the future rather than the past through change and innovation, breaking from the conventional paradigm.” For the new leap forward of the Bank, President Ham Yeong-ju urged employees to put more focus on the following 5 points than any other things.

First, he asked employees to establish ‘one bank’ through ‘early chemical integration’ of two organizations. Given increasingly competitive financial environment and various challenges such as the ’bank account switching system’, he urged employees to settle new corporate culture for growth and synergy based on mutual compliment and encouragement. Second, he noted that it needs to grow into a top class bank by drastically strengthening business activities through ‘change and innovation’.

Third, he emphasized the necessity of thorough management of risks to minimize them and protect customers’ assets and provide greater value of happiness to them. Fourth, President Ham also urged employees to strive to lead the banking industry in this ‘mobile and connected society’ by proactively offering fintech and smart financial services. Lastly, he stressed the importance of social contribution to help invigorate the creative economy by providing customized financial support.

And, expressing commitment to building a trusted and sustainable global bank, President Ham Yeong-ju pledged to establish the business field-oriented and performance-based management system with openness, without discriminating education levels, genders or ages of employees.