by JAMES S. KIM | @james_s_kim
editor@charactermedia.com
Daum Kakao has named 34-year-old Rim Ji Hoon as CEO, making him the youngest corporate boss in South Korea, according to Korean corporate watchdog CEOScore.
Rim is the youngest CEO among Korea’s top 500 companies, while the second youngest CEO after Rim is 46 years old.
Rim Ji Hoon (Photo via Metro Seoul)
CEOScore also speculates that Brian Kim (Kim Bum-soo), the founder of KakaoTalk who later acquired Daum Communications, may have made the decision.
With the help of Kim, Rim founded K Cube Ventures—a venture capital firm that focuses on Internet, game and tech startups—in 2012. Since then, the young venture capitalist has invested in more than 50 startups, including SundayToz, the developer of the popular mobile game Anipang.
Rim’s appointment is considered a “bold move” for a major South Korean company, not just due to his age. The top positions in Korean chaebols are usually held by family members or longtime, loyal employees. Other than his connection to Kim through K Cube Ventures, Rim is from outside the company. His appointment has also drawn comparisons to Softbank’s Nikesh Arora, who was named president of the Japanese company earlier this year.
Rim is a graduate of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He worked at global consulting firms and Naver Corp. before going into venture capitalism with Softbank Ventures and then K Cube Ventures.
See Also:
How KakaoTalk Founder Became SKorea’s Rarest Billionaire
Tech Startups Find a Home in Koreatown’s Kolabs
___
All images via Metro Seoul
