■ All five independent directors from SK Innovation and four from SKIET visit CES, the U.S.

■ First visit to CES by affiliated companies’ independent directors, with a 100% attendance rate

■ Visits to SK booth and exhibition halls of other global companies help gain expertise and insight

The independent directors of SK Innovation and SK IE Technology (SKIET) visited CES 2023, a global conference for cutting-edge technology, held in Las Vegas, USA. The visit provided an opportunity to enhance business expertise and insight by observing the leading companies’ competition of products and technologies. This is the first time that independent directors of SK Innovation’s affiliates have visited CES.

According to SK Innovation, all five independent directors from SK Innovation and four from SKIET attended CES 2023 on January 4 (local time).

Five independent directors from SK Innovation were Chairman of the Board of Directors (former congressman) Kim Jong-hoon, former President of Citibank Korea Park Jin-hoe, professor of Accounting at Korea University Choi Woo-seok, professor at Korean University Law School Kim Tae-jin, and former Vice Minister of Knowledge and Economy Kim Jung-gwan.

SKIET Directors also got together at CES, including professor of Economics at Sogang University Song Eui-young, professor of New Materials Engineering at Hanyang University Ahn Jin-ho, lawyer at Jipyeong Kang Yul-ri and assistant professor of Business Administration at Chung-Ang University Kim Tae-hyun.

The independent directors gathered in Las Vegas, where CES is held, two days before the event (January 3). They have thoroughly prepared by learning the core themes of CES 2023 and notable technology trends. They invited CES experts to lecture on “Implications of CES 2023” and discussed the meaning of CES Innovation Awards that SK has received.

On January 4, they held the SK Innovation independent directors’ workshop on site and an open discussion session on measures to develop governance, the central axis of ESG management. The members brainstormed on measures to enable the Board of Directors-centered management and governance innovation to ensure that the Board of Directors, the company’s highest independent voting body, fulfills its authority and responsibilities.

With the CES opening on the January 5, SK Innovation’s Board of Directors will visit SK Group’s booths, and tour other booths of global companies to acquire first-hand experience of fierce technology competition and the scene of innovation. Through this, they will continue the discussion of future growth strategy based on SK Innovation’s “Carbon to Green”.

This is not the first time that independent directors from SK Innovation’s affiliates have visited on-site. SK Innovation’s Board of Directors visited Vietnam’s potentially dangerous offshore mining area in 2017 to check the business site and has constantly been visiting domestic and foreign operation branches. In May last year, they visited the SK gas station where the “SK Energy Superstation” is located, as a part of an effort to actively visit work sites.

Chairman of SK Innovation’s Board of Directors Kim Jong-hoon said, “SK Innovation is putting in effort to press on with board-centered management and governance innovation by Board of Directors and top management.” He added, “We will continue to strive to innovate the governance structure, a strong component of ESG, to the global level.”

[Photos]

(Photo 1) The independent directors of SK Innovation’s affiliates attended the seminar before the opening of CES in the U.S.

(Photo 2) The independent directors of SK Innovation’s affiliates attended at CES 2023 workshop