Samsung empowers mobile software, vehicles in reshuffle

Samsung executive vice presidents Rhee In-jong and Roh Tae-moon have been named heads of the company's mobile division's R&D team, overseeing software and hardware, respectively.

Rhee, who recently spoke exclusively to ZDNet, will oversee software developments as head of mobile R&D team 1. Rhee was responsible for the success of Samsung Pay, the company's namesake mobile payment service, as well as Knox, the firm's first meaningful entry into the mobile security market.

This is the first time Samsung has named software expert as the head of its crucial R&D team, whose strategy is an indicator of what direction the South Korean tech behemoth is heading.

Newly named head of its mobile division, Koh Dong-jin, was also the head of the R&D team before he took the top post.

JK Shin, co-CEO and the head of Samsung's IT & Mobile division, was named the head of Samsung's Global Software Center, another move likely to reinforce its software businesses going forward.

Roh, who will head mobile R&D team 2, was directly responsible the development of the Galaxy Note series, Samsung's second flagship series next to the Galaxy S. It was his pitch to make a larger-screened phone with a pen.

Meanwhile, co-CEO Kwon Oh-hyun, who oversees the firm's semiconductor division, was named the head of the automobile division. He will likely draw up strategies for Samsung's entry into the electronic vehicle division.

Samsung's component affiliates already supply various components to a number of electric vehicle companies, but this is the first time it has formed a team to comprehensively manage all its businesses related to cars.

The firm has also formed a product strategy team in China to better meet the demand there. Its India branch's product strategy team, responsible for the development of Tizen, has also been "strengthened", though Samsung did not elaborate.

A Samsung spokeswoman said she had nothing to add to the announcement.

Source: ZDNet.co.kr