To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Sungkyunkwan University SKK GSB organized a series of "Where are you now?" interviews with alumni to find out how they are doing in their careers and what life has been like since graduation.

SKK GSB Full-Time MBA Class 4th Graduate: Byunghyun Ahn

Byunghyun Ahn, who graduated from SKK GSB at Sungkyunkwan University in 2009, is currently the CEO of Kyobo Book Centre.

After completing the Global MBA program (now Full-Time MBA) at SKK GSB, Byunghyun was working in the Marketing Planning Team at Kyobo Life Insurance when he unexpectedly received a transfer to lead the digital business initiative at Kyobo Book Centre, a subsidiary of the company.

After working in the finance industry for over a decade, he found himself facing the challenge of starting a career in the entirely new field of book distribution. Initially, he felt significant pressure from embarking on a career in a field he had never encountered before. However, since February 2012, he began building a new career at Kyobo Book Centre and has since led the Digital Transformation efforts at Kyobo, establishing numerous infrastructures and achieving considerable success.

He faced significant challenges immediately after moving to Kyobo Book Centre. Reflecting on that time, he said, "At that point, I was responsible for the digital content business. Although Kyobo Book Centre is a strong brand and a category killer, it was primarily an offline book distribution channel, so digital transformation was not easy." However, he said, "First, strengthening competitiveness including sequentially building digital business infrastructure and second, increasing the activity of online businesses has been the greatest achievement we have gained." After putting considerable effort into building digital infrastructure, Kyobo Book Centre's online platform saw its Monthly Active Users (MAU) increase from 6 million to 10 million.

Byunghyun also focused on significantly expanding Kyobo Book Centre's business scope. Since margins were too low with just book distribution and it was difficult to meet customer needs, the company secured intellectual property (IP) through contests and implemented One Source Multi Use (OSMU) strategies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they expanded their value chain to include book supply services for local bookstores. They also provided their expertise in bookstore management to local bookstores and helped organize lectures by popular authors. These efforts generated over 100 billion won in additional revenue over two years, and the business successfully expanded its scope from content creation to distribution and supply."

He said, "The global MBA experience at SKK GSB gave me a new level of confidence and equipped me with a broader perspective and deeper insights. I believe it contributed to my becoming the CEO of Kyobo Book Centre." He emphasized that his MBA experience was instrumental in starting a new chapter in his life.

Byunghyun mentioned, "I had long desired to pursue an MBA and was finally able to start at SKK GSB. It was my first experience with classes conducted in English, and I struggled a lot with the accounting courses. However, I was able to study extensively and particularly enjoyed building honest and comfortable relationships with students from various industries." During the last semester, while participating in the Study Abroad Program at Indiana University's Kelley School, he said that the diverse experiences shared with his classmates were truly enjoyable memories.

He said, "If you are considering entering a Full-Time MBA program, it means you are already at a point where change is necessary for you." He emphasized, "While a Full-Time MBA requires you to pause your career and fully commit to the program, it can be unsettling. However, if you fully engage with the MBA experience, your confidence will undoubtedly be restored."

What leadership qualities does Byunghyun emphasize as a manager? He mentioned that he values communication highly. Byunghyun explained, "I conduct interviews with employees who are leaving to hear their honest opinions. I also have systems in place that allow for more frequent feedback from employees, making it easier for them to speak with me."

Byunghyun is currently planning a national reading project called "Books Are Fun." He explained, "There is a shift where consumers are returning to existing content from webtoons or web novels. This change is more evident abroad." He continued, "I am thinking of introducing good books, creating stories for different age groups to read those books, and planning a campaign to recommend books through trustworthy individuals. I would like to launch a four-country joint reading campaign with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan."