Daewoo Engineering & Construction's new CEO, Lee Kang-seok, took office with three keywords — "summit," "together" and "challenge" — to power the company's next stride as the construction industry shifts.
The company announced Monday that its shareholders and board had formally appointed Lee as chief executive on Friday. Lee pledged to aim higher, build a culture where people work as one, and venture into new businesses on the strength of the company's expertise.
"The future does not arrive because we wait for it. We build it through our choices and our execution," Lee said at the inauguration ceremony Friday. "We will make what we do well even stronger, and we will take on areas we have never entered without fear."
To reach the "summit," Lee said, he will manage each project responsibly from bidding to completion and hold firm on safety, quality, cost and schedule. Bolstering finances to build a stable base for reinvestment comes alongside more careful project selection, tighter risk management and higher profitability, he said.
To get the company working "together," Lee promised to lower the walls between sites and headquarters, and between divisions, and let employees share experiences and opinions freely. He also vowed to respect the labor union's role and listen openly to feedback on site difficulties and employee suggestions.
Lee framed "challenge" as improving quality and technical strength in current projects and widening the company's territory abroad around hub markets. The company will also pursue artificial intelligence infrastructure and robotics, and will consider strategic mergers, acquisitions and investments if needed.
"I hope Daewoo E&C will leap forward as a global builder with everyone pulling together," Chairman Jung Won-ju said in his congratulatory remarks. "Safety comes first in all our work, so I ask every employee to keep our sites safe."
minmin@heraldcorp.com
