Samsung Electronics has been a good employer for Michael Kim. He has worked for the company for 27 years. Born in Korea, Kim has served the company in South Korea, twice in Russia, and now at Samsung’s subsidiary Harman in Munich, Germany.
“I started my career at Samsung. I consider myself quite experienced,” Kim says.
In 2021–2022, before his assignment in Munich, he completed an EMBA degree in the Aalto Executive MBA in Seoul program, which has been offered in cooperation with the Seoul School of Integrated Sciences and Technologies (aSSIST) for 30 years.
“I have a lot of field experience, but I felt I needed more structure to support that knowledge,” Kim says.
"Now I have a broader vision and I can better justify my ideas and perspectives."
His original university studies did not provide that structure in business management. Kim’s major was Russian language and culture—also beneficial topics in his later career.
“During my EMBA studies, I met professionals from other fields and learned from their experiences. It was also valuable to get to share my own. I feel I grew during the program. Now I have a broader vision and I can better justify my ideas and perspectives. I know how to explain the key points and communicate the reasoning behind my views.”
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| The experience Kim has gained at Samsung, and the knowledge he learned during the EMBA program together were a guidance for his current position at Harman. |
The program also took Kim to Helsinki for a two-week module. This, too, was a new experience—his first time studying in a foreign country and culture.
“The curriculum was excellent. I clearly felt the cultural differences between Helsinki and Seoul, from architecture to food culture. I enjoyed the Northern European lifestyle there.”
Since then, Kim has become even more familiar with European lifestyle and business culture, as a new work project—enabled in part by the EMBA—led him to a role as Senior Director at Harman in Munich.
“At the moment, I’m working on operation innovation excellence. I develop innovation processes,” he explains.
“All the experience I had gained at Samsung, and the knowledge I learned during the EMBA program together, were a guide for this position at Harman. I believe this combination is also valuable for the company.”
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Although Germans are considered efficient by European standards, Koreans have had to adjust to a slower work pace here compared to Seoul.
“Samsung, as a company, represents Korean business culture very well. It's fast, even rapid. When you write a report, it needs to be ready overnight. The flip side is that Korean companies sometimes struggle with creativity. European culture is slower, but you can feel the creativity,” Kim reflects.
"All the experience I had gained at Samsung, and the knowledge I learned during the EMBA program together, were a guide for this position at Harman."
“A combination of the two would be a winning formula—if you could merge Korean efficiency with European creativity.”
When asked about continuing his studies with doctoral research, Kim laughs.
“When I graduated from the EMBA, I thought someone should pay me to continue studying,” he says. “But it’s not impossible. Maybe I could even be a good teacher myself. I just have to remember the realities—I also have a real life and a family to care for.”
