Sungjoo Kim

Current/ previous positions: Chair and Chief Visionary Officer, MCM Holdings AG (South Korea)

BIOGRAPHY

In 1990, Sung Joo Kim founded the Sungjoo Group, Korea’s foremost fashion industry leader which launched prominent European luxury brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel in the Asia Pacific region.  After acquiring Germany’s top luxury fashion brand MCM in 2005, she became its Chair and Chief Visionary Officer, successfully expanding its reach globally.  Among many awards, she has been listed in Forbes’ Top 50 Asian Business Women in 2012, and selected as one of Asia’s 25 Hottest CEOs by Fortune.  In 2015, she was appointed as an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between the UK and the Republic of Korea.  In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, she served as President of the Korean Red Cross from 2014-2016 and is Chair of her foundation, focusing on supporting women’s projects in different countries.