The Baker Retailing Center hosted Sam Kim (W85), Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Lotte Group, where he shared his insights on global business transformation, decision-making, and the future of retail in a rapidly changing world. A Wharton undergraduate alumnus with a 30-year career at Procter & Gamble, Kim played a key role in building P&G’s presence in Korea and Southeast Asia, led the takeover of Tesco Korea, and served as CEO of Health & Beauty for Southeast Asia. A former Huntsman Advisory Board member, Kim remains actively engaged with Penn and Wharton. Since 2022, he has served as Vice Chairman and Group CEO at Lotte Group, one of Asia’s largest and most diversified conglomerates.
INSIGHTS FROM SAM
Sam Kim shared his three guiding principles for leadership:
- Start with customers: “Where are customers going? That’s where I need to head.”
- Profit over sales: “Growth without profit isn’t sustainable.”
- Anticipate the future: “You don’t want to make your horses run faster when everyone else is already riding cars.”