Cai Lian Chun, Head of SK Global Chemical’s China Investment Management Department, is one of the very first global and female leaders in SK Innovation. She has been spending more than 20 years working at SK.
Let’s check our interview with her to learn more about various businesses that SK Global Chemical is doing in China and its development direction in the future.

(Video included below)

Q1. First of all, please introduce yourself and greet SK Innovation affiliates around the world.

Hello everyone! I am Cai Lian Chun, Head of China Investment Management Department of SK Global Chemical. First of all, I wish you a Happy New Year and hope all your wishes will come true this year.

Q2. You have been working in our company for over 20 years. Could you share with us how you became a member of SK Innovation and SK Global Chemical.

Last year, I received a souvenir for the 20th anniversary of working at our company. It can be said that my youth was with SK’s Chinese business.

After joining SK China in 2000, I was initially in charge of GR (Government Relations), which laid a solid foundation for our future business development in China. Six years later, in 2006, I moved to SK Energy. At that time, the company was planning to promote big-scale projects in China, regardless of whether it was chemical or oil refining.

After that, in 2011, SK Energy became SK Innovation and spun off to several business companies. Meanwhile, our company made it clear that we would promote Chinese business centering on chemicals. At that time, we were working on a project to establish SINOPEC-SK Petrochemical Co., Ltd (China), a JV between SK Global Chemical and SINOPEC, the largest state-run petrochemical company in China. So naturally I became a member of SK Global Chemical.

▲ (Left) CEO & President of SK Global Chemical Na Kyung-soo (fourth from right), Head of SK Global Chemical’s China Investment Management Department Cai Lian Chun and other members took a group photo after SINOPEC-SK Petrochemical acquired a refinery located in Wuhan, China in April 2019 / (Right) Cai Lian Chun (third from right) and other members of SK Global Chemical participated in an outdoor activity in China (2020)

Q3. You were among one of the first global executives in SK Innovation, especially as a female leader that was rare to be found in the energy and chemical industry at the time. In many ways I think you fit perfectly with the image of “innovation.” So in your opinion what is the most important virtue that a good leader should have?

I’d like to thank our company for the recognition of my work. I think different cultures, eras and different people need different type of leadership.

Compared to the corporate environment and culture of “Pursuing happiness” in Korea, Chinese companies seem to pay more attention to “survival and development.” Although SK is one of the top 500 global companies, it is only recognized as one of many foreign-invested companies in China.

Therefore, the virtue of being a leader that I consider most important for the survival and development of SK in China is close to the leadership of the “armed forces.” Two things represent it; the first is strong executive power (strong leadership), which is the ability to make the organization members truly admirable. The second is the ability to empower and nurture other members. I believe in the strength of teamwork and the capabilities of young members, like in the old Chinese saying that the back wave of the Yangtze River pushes the front wave (means that an organization is constantly evolving, the new generation should do better than the old one). In short, I think nurturing young members is not merely a type of leadership but also a leader’s responsibility.

Q4. SK Global Chemical moved its business base to Shanghai, China, and has been making great efforts to increase its business competitiveness in China. What does the Chinese market mean for SK Global Chemical? And what is the strategic direction of SK Global Chemical for the Chinese business?

Subjectively speaking, when SK entered China 20 years ago, it paid attention to the 1.3 billion Chinese market and inexpensive labor force, and I think it took into account the effectiveness therefrom. The current Chinese market, 20 years later, is well-aligned with SK Global Chemical’s product strategy.

The projects that SK Global Chemical is undertaking in China are no longer general products but premium products with precise targets. These products include premium packaging materials and lightweight automotive materials.

Last week, the Chinese government released statistics on the economy for 2020. The overall GDP growth rate was 2.3%, the GDP per capita exceeded $10,000, and the population of GDP exceeding $20,000 reached 400 million. These numbers show that China will be a huge premium market for quite a long time.

Besides, all companies of SK Group, including SK Global Chemical, are pursuing green growth. SK Global Chemical’s vision of “Green for Better Life” is in line with China’s direction of development.

Q5. SK Global Chemical’s global business, especially in China, is growing very rapidly. Please introduce some of the projects currently underway in China based on the technology secured by SK Global Chemical.

I believe that the development of SK Global Chemical in China began in 2018.

Before 2018, SK Global Chemical basically only did business with what we already had. In other words, SK Innovation’s Ulsan Complex (“Ulsan CLX”) simply sold products to China or made related investments. But after 2018, SK Global Chemical became more proactive, paving the way for our expansion in global market.

There are two main projects currently undertaken in China. One is to enhance the competitiveness of SINOPEC-SK (WUHAN) Petrochemical Co., Ltd such as HCPP⁽¹⁾ and LLDPE⁽²⁾. The other is the collaboration project with a new partner to build EAA⁽³⁾ plant 3 and HSPP⁽⁴⁾ plant and to recover waste plastics.

(1) HCPP: High Crystalline Polypropylene

(2) LLDPE: Linear Low Density Polyethylene

(3) EAA: Ethylene Acrylic Acid

(4) HSPP: High Strength Polypropylene

Such new project’s technology comes from the experience and know-how that Ulsan CLX has accumulated so far. Furthermore, in recent years SK Global Chemical have also attained technologies from the acquisition of US and European companies such as Dow Chemical and Arkema.

As with any business, there is uncertainty in the projects we are working on, but we will keep trying our best. So please show us more support and expectation.

▲ (Right) Cai Lian Chun welcomed Ulsan CLX members’ visit to China in 2019

Q6. As SK Innovation affiliates’ global business expands, we are having more and more global members across the world. Accordingly, SK innovation is trying to communicate in various ways to strengthen our One Team Spirit. Even though there are many difficulties, such as differences in language and culture and COVID-19, but as a global leader who knows both Chinese and Korean cultures well, please tell us if there is any way to enhance our communication with global members.

I think “timely and accurate communication” is important. Since we are not physically together, it is more and more necessary to “confirm that our minds are together.”

Two weeks ago, SK Global Chemical held an executive workshop using Webex, an online video meeting platform, and shared it with team leaders and iCONs. Through such method, more members can directly see the discussion between the CEO and management. I think this is also a good option to strengthen our communication.

It would be great to change the discomfort that COVID-19 brought to us into an opportunity for openness!

Q7. Lastly, what message would you like to convey to SK Innovation members?

The first is “core competitiveness.” I like SKMS (SK Management System) very much. I particularly like the meaning of the word “ambition” (paeki in Korean). But to work energetically, we must have the ability to do it. Therefore, we must constantly strengthen our core competitiveness to achieve both company and individual goals.

Second, the world is a great place, wide and colorful. I hope that all of you don’t get just too immersed in your work, but sometimes please raise your head to see the blue sky and white clouds above. More energy and happiness can be created when your work and personal life are connected and balanced. Thank you.