All throughout his career, it’s been hard to convince
Lee Sueg-cheul, EVP and the newly
appointed COO of Engine & Machinery
Division, to put form before substance. Just ask the people
in the Hull Department of the Shipbuilding Division
in the early 1980s. As a general manager, Lee wanted to
crop a few centimeters off a hull so that the Goliath
crane could unload the engine onto the ship. Everyone
in the department was against the idea, insisting on
going through the usual formalities. But it was 10
o’clock at night, and Lee believed that if the work had to
wait until all the formalities were performed, the construction
schedule would have to be delayed. In the end,
Lee signed an agreement claiming all the responsibility
for his decision, and ordered the hull cropped. The next
day, there was some controversy as to whether he had
made the right decision, but it ultimately ensured that
the ship was built and delivered on schedule. Today,
Lee firmly believes that was a defining moment in his
23-year career with HHI.
Another memorable episode also involved Lee’s
sticking to his beliefs. While he was a deputy manager,
Lee discovered a small oil leak in the stern tube seal of a
ship that was about to be delivered. After getting permission
from his supervisor, Lee went on to take apart
this section of the ship, completely clean the seal, and
then put it back together again. Only after making sure
he had sealed the leak was the ship delivered to its
owner.
While these achievements may seem minor, they are
central to Lee’s management philosophy of placing
importance on setting goals and achieving them. While
the emphasis on achievements may put a lot of pressure
on some employees, Lee strives to show them that he is
always ready to fully support their efforts. An example
of this support is Lee’s daily presence down on the field
with his employees as they do their morning exercises.
As for the future of the Engine & Machinery
Division, Lee divides the prospects by product. In large
marine engines, Lee says HHI is the most competitive
manufacturer in the world. He points out that last year
HHI reached the 40-million-bhp milestone in marine
engine output faster than any company in history. Lee
says with the
growth of the
global shipbuilding
market, the
prospects in this
area are even
brighter. In medium-
sized engines,
HHI has yet to
catch up with
some makers, but
the in-house
development of
the HiMSEN
engine has dramatically
narrowed the gap. He expects to devote more
resources and time to this area in the near future.
Lee’s sales target for the division in 2004 is 1.23 trillion
won, up from 1.03 trillion won in 2003, while orders
are expected to increase 11% from $720 million to $800
million.
Preferring a more “hands-on” approach to work, Lee
left the Shipbuilding Division’s Design Departmentwhere
he was first posted-to be out in the field. He was
sent to tackle one of the most physically challenging
tasks of the shipbuilding process, mechanical outfitting.
There he was placed in charge of propulsion systems
(shafting, steering, etc.). In 1988, HHI promoted Lee to
the position of director of the Mechanical Outfitting
Department. This was an unusual move at the time,
since most directors had been drawn from the ranks of
the Hull Department, not the Outfitting Department.
Lee was tasked with overseeing the company’s No.2
yard from 2000 to 2003, and then the No.1 yard, before
his appointment as head of the Engine & Machinery
Division this year.
Lee did not cut his teeth in Engine & Machinery
Division, but he is confident that he will adjust quickly.
Lee points out that even though Engine & Machinery
produced the engines, it is in the Shipbuilding Division
that they are applied.
The writer is a journalist based in Seoul.
|
