1 year update – Is it already a year?

Hello friends, it’s now been over 14 months since I moved to Seoul and I think I’m due for an update. I was back in the states on a couple of different occasions in September and while there I had ample time to mull over this Asian adventure I am on. My second trip to the states saw me giving corporate presentations to graduating MBAs and at each school I was invariably asked, “what was it that made you choose to join Samsung and move to Korea?” Which was quickly followed up by, “well, have you had the experience you expected?” Those two questions forced me to drudge up the reasons why I came here, and to answer for myself if indeed I had/am having the “experience I expected.” After careful thought I’ve got answers to both… so let’ talk about them.

First, the reasons. I came two Seoul to work for Samsung for three main reasons.

Asia. I had been fortunate enough to live and work all over the world, except Asia. This is the age of Asia, particularly when it comes to business, and I had a desire to experience living and working here. Taking the Samsung gig gave me the opportunity to scratch that itch.
Exposure. Before business school I spent seven years consulting and while I hated the travel, I loved the variability of the work. After business school I was looking for something that gave me that consulting-like exposure to different industries, geographies, cultures, and products. Samsung, and its multitude of business units, looked to provide me the variety of experiences that I was looking for. Furthermore, the centrality of Seoul within Asia looked to provide me with the regional exposure I was looking for. So that box looked like it could be checked.
Impact. I had the expectation that I would leave fresh from my MBA and make an immediate impact, wherever it was that I was going to work. I saw lots of opportunities post-MBA that were clearly not jobs where one would be making an impact of any scale right out the gate. While I didn’t have the means (or a supportive wife) to start my own venture out of school like my friend and classmate Roy Simkhay, I did place a high importance on doing something that would be impactful and Samsung’s Global Strategy Group promised to be a place where one could come move the needle on big issues.

Second, here are my assessments of these three items now:

Asia. Lived up to the hype. What can I say, it’s great to be in a place where people are excited about the future. It’s as simple as that. In Samsung, in Korea, people have a hunger to succeed, a willingness to learn, and a desire to lead and that feeling permeates everything here. That feeling is infectious. There isn’t a month that goes by that I don’t hear the phrase, “we want to be number one” around the hallowed halls of Samsung. I spent time working in China the past quarter and it’s the same thing feeling there as well. Folks on this side of the world have finally started to taste the fruits of their labor, they like what they’re tasting, and they want more. I sort of feel like I’m on the ground floor of something big out here, it’s motivating and exhilarating.
Exposure. This box gets checked as well. My colleague and fellow CBS classmate, Andy Umans, calls this whole Samsung Global Strategy Group experience a “double international experience” and I think that sums it up perfectly. We get to experience working and living in Korea but much of our work is outside of the peninsula so we get to travel to other interesting countries quite often. In the past year I’ve worked in the states, Germany, Switzerland, England and China. So my desire to expose myself to new geographies and cultures has definitely been satiated. Furthermore, in all of these travels I have been working with people from all walks of life and with numerous different industries. In the past year I’ve worked in the following industries, Solar (PV), Television, OLED, Medical Devices, Smart Grid, Energy Management Systems and Semi-conductor. All of these experiences are helping me to better determine where it is that I eventually want to work in my career, both industry and geography.
Impact. This final box gets a check as well. Why? Because I believe that much of the work my teams have done the past year has been necessary, and well received by our business units. I have presented recommendations to executives in multiple industries and business units within Samsung, including the CEO of all of Samsung. And what’s particularly satisfying is seeing my team’s recommendations being implemented by our clients after we’re done.

In short, a year in and I feel good about my decision to come out here to Seoul. I have enjoyed my time both personally and professionally. And most important, I met my lovely girlfriend Heather while here. So far, this experience has far surpassed my expectations. For all of you that have come and visited, thanks for enriching this experience for me. And for all of you that haven’t come and visited, what are you waiting for?