Han & Company logo [Han & Company]
Han & Company logo [Han & Company]

Private equity fund manager Han & Company (Han & Co.) announced Wednesday that it has promoted Lee Dong-chun and Cho Sung-kwan to senior executive vice president. The move aims to strengthen leadership in portfolio value enhancement and new investment sourcing.

Lee will serve as chief portfolio officer (CPO) and Cho as chief investment officer (CIO), focusing on portfolio company management and new investment activities, respectively.

Lee is a management professional who previously served as vice president of Sony Korea's Device Division. Since joining Han & Co. in 2010, he has served on the boards of major portfolio companies — including SK Shipping, H-Line Shipping, Rahan Hotel, Namyang Dairy Products, SK Ecoprime and SK Specialty — driving value enhancement across the portfolio.

Lee is particularly credited with playing a central role in building Han & Co.'s "direct management" model, in which an in-house team of management professionals participates directly in running portfolio companies. As CPO, he will oversee the firm's post-merger integration (PMI) process and lead management strategy development and operational improvements across portfolio companies.

Cho holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and built his career as an investment professional at global private equity firms including Morgan Stanley PE and Coller Capital. A founding member who joined Han & Co. in 2010, he has led a series of high-profile transactions, including the acquisitions of KGM C&E, K Car, Microworks, SK Ecoprime and SK Specialty.

As CIO, Cho will take full responsibility for identifying high-quality new investment targets and executing deals from start to finish, with a focus on expanding Han & Co.'s investment portfolio and building a foundation for sustainable growth.

"The two promotees are core leaders who have long walked alongside Han & Co. and put the firm's investment philosophy into practice, demonstrating outstanding capabilities in their respective fields," a Han & Co. official said. "We expect this appointment to further strengthen Han & Co.'s investment and management capabilities."

Han & Co. pursues long-term responsible investment by acquiring controlling stakes in domestic and foreign companies and improving their fundamentals through active investment. The firm has also been diversifying its business this year, establishing a new asset management subsidiary, HCAM, and preparing to launch a real estate fund.


an@heraldcorp.com