Under the leadership of CJ CheilJedang's chairman, Lee Suk-hee, the company has expanded its global presence, with a significant presence in the US, China, and Southeast Asia. Lee Suk-hee has been instrumental in driving CJ Group's growth and innovation.
CJ Group's commitment to sustainability has been a key area of focus under Lee Suk-hee's leadership, with the company setting ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices. CJ Group aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.
Lee Suk-hee's vision for CJ Group's future involves leveraging technology to drive business growth and improve operational efficiency. The company has already made significant investments in digital transformation, including the development of its own AI platform.
See what others are reading: Unipol Assicurazioni (Unipol Group's Subsidiary)
Business Cooperation
CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun has met with U.S. business leaders to discuss business opportunities in the food and cultural sectors.
He held discussions with Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, Motion Picture Association CEO Charles Rivkin, and other U.S. business leaders during a South Korea-U.S. business roundtable in Washington on August 25, 2025.
CJ Group has invested a combined $832 million in expanding its food, content, and logistics operations in the United States.
The company plans to build a food factory in South Dakota through its subsidiary Schwan's Company, with an investment of $550 million by 2027.
CJ Foodville will invest $50.2 million to build a bread factory in Georgia and expand its outlets across the U.S.
CJ Logistics Corp. has opened a new logistics center in Illinois and plans to make an additional $228 million investment to establish two more centers in Chicago and New York.
CJ Group has invested a cumulative 8 trillion won since first entering the U.S. market in 1978 and now employs about 12,000 people across its seven affiliates.
CJ Cheiljedang posted 4.7 trillion won in sales in the U.S. last year.
The company's food sector investment in the U.S. is expected to continue growing with CJ Cheiljedang's strong presence in the market.
Worth a look: Who Owns New Mountain Capital
Succession Plans
CJ Group heir Lee Sun-ho is on track to succeed his father as head of the local conglomerate.
The younger Lee has been reinstated to his position after being dismissed last September when he received a suspended jail sentence for drug smuggling.
He recently signed a global marketing partnership deal with the Los Angeles Lakers as a sponsor, marking his first public appearance in nine months.
Lee's hereditary succession is expected to speed up with the deal, according to industry watchers.
The elder Lee is not in good health and the group is experiencing radical operational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee Sin-ho and his older sister Lee Kyung-hoo secured a large amount of cash through a pre-initial public offering for CJ Group's cash cow CJ Olive Young at the end of last year.
They also sold a respective 6.87 percent and 2.65 percent of their stakes in CJ Olive Young for 101.8 billion won and 39.1 billion won.
Discover more: Advances in Public Interest Accounting
CJ Group has a clear plan for succession, with Lee Sun-ho set to take over as head of the conglomerate.
The group has also appointed two new CEOs to lead its key units, CJ CheilJedang and CJ Logistics.
Kang Sin-ho has been promoted to vice chairperson of CJ CheilJedang and will assume the role of CEO at the food company.
Shin Young-soo will replace Kang to take the helm as CJ Logistics CEO.
These changes are part of the group's annual personnel reshuffle, announced on Thursday.
You might enjoy: CJ Group
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CJ Group part of Samsung?
CJ Group is not a direct subsidiary of Samsung, but the two companies have a family connection through their CEOs. CJ Group's history and ties to Samsung are rooted in family relationships, not corporate ownership.
Featured Images: pexels.com
