Galderma Korea General Manager Kim Youn-hee poses at her office in Seoul, Nov. 2. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

This article is the first in the series of interviews with CEOs of foreign companies operating in Korea ― ED.

Galderma Korea head encourages female leaders by sharing her experience

By Park Jae-hyuk

Galderma Korea General Manager Kim Youn-hee, who began her career as a saleswoman for the foreign pharmaceutical firm MSD in the early 2000s, seems like the very person who lives up to the word "superwoman," at first glance.

At the time she started working, it was difficult to find women working in sales in Korea's pharmaceutical industry. However, she proved herself by winning a silver prize in the Sales of the Year award from MSD, just a year after she joined the company as a new employee.

Based on her achievements in sales, she was also allowed to go on two incentive trips abroad and work at the U.S. pharmaceutical firm's headquarters in New Jersey.

After leading the regional marketing of MSD Asia-Pacific and serving as an executive at the Korean subsidiaries of Merz and L'Oreal, she eventually became the general manager of Galderma Korea representing the Korean operation of the Swiss pharmaceutical firm specializing in dermatological treatments and skincare products.

As a Korean working mom, however, Kim advised younger working mothers here to seek help to overcome difficulties from their roles at work and home, rather than struggling to solve their problems all by themselves.

"Working moms do not need to strive to become superwomen," she told The Korea Times in a recent interview, citing advice she received from a female leader in Korea's banking industry, when she was single.

"They should not be reluctant to seek help from anyone, including their mothers, mothers-in-law, husbands or nannies," she said, adding that she herself was also able to overcome the difficulties of caring for her children, thanks to her mother-in-law.

According to the Galderma Korea head, she got the advice at a lecture organized by Women in INnovation (WIN), a nonprofit organization established for female executives to support the next generation of female leaders. As the advice made a difference in her life, Kim also joined WIN and now serves as a board member.

"When I listened to the lecture, one of my closest colleagues had quit her job, as she was confused about the fact that she had to spend almost all her salary to hire a nanny," Kim said. "Because working moms are not participating in a superwoman contest, they should not feel guilty about underperforming at their jobs and about having difficulties focusing on caring for their babies."

She emphasized that working mothers should continue to trust themselves, until they feel less difficulties in handling their duties at their jobs and homes.

"There are many government-run programs for working moms," she said. "Since I became a member of WIN, I have also continued mentoring free of charge for them."

Galderma Korea General Manager Kim Youn-hee speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at her office in Seoul, Nov. 2. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Social contributions

The mentoring for future female leaders is part of her various efforts to contribute to society.

"Whatever I do, I want to be helpful to other people," she said.

As a vice chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) and a director of the Swiss-Korean Business Council (SKBC), the Galderma Korea general manager has supported children in need.

"The ECCK and the Embassy of Switzerland in Korea held the Charity Networking Night event recently, and I delivered a speech there," she said. "We donated profits from the event to an orphanage. It was an honor to deliver opening remarks at the event, along with the Swiss ambassador to Korea."

The SKBC is also preparing for events to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Switzerland next year. Kim said that the council's board, on which she sits, will review the plans and decide whether or not to approve them.

In addition, she has attended monthly meetings with the ECCK members, so as to make their voices heard to Korean regulators.

Sales growth

Despite her social contributions, Kim is confident that she has not been negligent in her duty to manage Galderma Korea.

"After I was appointed as general manager two years ago, our company's sales have shown a double-digit growth and it began to make a profit," she said.

As a Korean general manager who succeeded her European predecessor, she said that Galderma Korea under her management has focused on promoting the safety of its injectable fillers and other aesthetic products, in order to meet the demands of Korean consumers.

She also said that her company was able to overcome a temporary setback in its consumer care business during the COVID-19 pandemic through its investments in online sales of its skincare products sold under the brand name Cetaphil.

"I increased the number of our company's employees, and we also take steps to care for the mental health of our workers," Kim said.

She added that she hopes to be a leader who can have open-minded conversations with working-level employees, based on her career in three business sectors in which Galderma has engaged ― prescription, aesthetic & corrective and consumer care.

"By becoming more used to my role, I want to show a style of leadership that enables our employees to improve their capabilities, as our company grows," she said. "That's one of the most important tasks of my life."

Founded in 1981 as a joint venture between Nestle and L'Oreal, Galderma established its Korean subsidiary in 1998. The Swiss company is currently under control of a consortium led by EQT, a Swedish private equity firm.

According to foreign media, EQT is considering listing $22 billion worth of Galderma shares on the Swiss stock market. If successful, the initial public offering (IPO) would rank as Switzerland's biggest IPO since at least 2000.