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Former Minister, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia

Keesoo Kim

Keesoo Kim is a seasoned expert in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, having spent over 30 years overseeing strategic planning, global marketing, overseas operations, and diplomatic affairs at Samsung Group and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At Samsung C&T and Samsung Motors, he was responsible for product planning and marketing strategy, contributing to the planning of SM5, the first model of Renault Samsung. Later, as Executive Vice President of Cheil Worldwide, he led global brand strategy and served as Head of the Middle East & Africa Regional HQ, where he established operations in six countries and scaled the organization to over 500 staff. Under his leadership, the region achieved 495% growth in revenue and profit over seven years.

Following his corporate career, Mr. Kim served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia. There, he successfully facilitated state visits by key leaders including President Moon Jae-in, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and President Yoon Suk Yeol. His tenure saw concrete achievements such as the relaunch of FTA discussions, expanded defense exports, the opening of the first King Sejong Institute in Saudi Arabia, and the signing of a Korea-Saudi visa agreement.

With deep expertise spanning politics, economics, diplomacy, branding, market expansion, and data-driven strategy, Mr. Kim now provides strategic advisory services for public and private sector engagement in the Middle East and Africa, acting as a bridge between the two spheres.

Practice Areas

Middle East and Africa Regional Strategy
Global Marketing
Global M&A
Diplomacy and International Cooperation
Multilateral Organization Engagement
KPI and ROI Management
Market Research

Education and Career

·Education

  • Executive Program in Strategic Marketing, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (July – September 1996)

  • M.S. in Management Science (Marketing), KAIST (February 1991)

  • B.A. in Business Administration, Korea University (February 1989)

Professional Experience

  • Minister, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) (2021 – 2024)

  • Advisor, Cheil Worldwide (January 2019 – December 2020)

  • Executive Director, Head of Middle East & Africa Region, Cheil Worldwide (January 2012 – December 2018)

  • CEO, Cheil Turkey (Istanbul) (July 2010 – December 2011)

  • Group Head, Account Planning Division, Cheil Headquarters (Seoul) (March 2003 – June 2010)

  • Senior Planner, Global Brand Strategy Team, FCB New York (Secondment) (January 2002 – February 2003)

  • Senior Consultant, Brand Marketing Research Institute (February 1999 – December 2001)

  • Manager, Product Planning Team, Samsung Motors (March 1995 – January 1999)

  • Manager, Marketing Team, Samsung C&T Corporation (February 1991 – February 1995)

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Achievements

·Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia, January 2021 – Present

  • Led high-level bilateral visits including those of the President, Members of the National Assembly, and Ministers, as well as senior Saudi officials, strengthening bilateral cooperation.

  • Promoted economic, trade, construction, and energy investment collaboration with Saudi Arabia, including the resumption of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions.

  • Supervised consular services including negotiation of visa agreements such as fee reductions for tourism/business visas and exemptions for diplomatic/official visas.

  • Spearheaded the establishment of the first King Sejong Institute in Saudi Arabia and advanced cultural and educational cooperation including Korean student recruitment.

  • Secured collaboration and support within multilateral organizations including the G20, GCC, and UN.

Cheil Worldwide, Advisor, January 2019 – December 2020

Cheil Worldwide, CEO & President, Middle East and Africa Regional Headquarters (Dubai), January 2012 – December 2018

  • Oversaw operations across 11 countries in the MEA region (UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Lebanon).

  • Established and executed a five-year growth strategy, expanding a team of 80 into a 500-member integrated agency with 495% revenue and profit growth over 7 years.

  • Secured major local clients including du, Virgin Mobile, Nespresso, Etihad Airways, DEWA, and Energizer.

  • Founded new subsidiaries in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran; initiated mergers and acquisitions.

  • Recruited key executives including COO, CGO, and ECD; strengthened shopper marketing, live communication, and digital business.

  • Acquired One RX Agency and two retail production firms.

  • Achieved numerous international creative awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, and Effie.

  • Ranked 3rd globally in the 2016 Gunn Report for creativity.

  • Recognized as the fastest-growing regional HQ in Cheil and the Middle Eastern advertising sector.

  • Managed an organization of over 500 employees and full P&L responsibility.

President, Cheil Turkey (Istanbul), July 2010 – December 2011

  • Established Turkish subsidiary and achieved over $1 million in operating profit in its first year.

  • Recruited key talent including COO; launched shopper marketing operations.

  • Acquired new clients beyond Samsung, including Intel and Beymen.

Group Head, Account Planning, Cheil HQ (Seoul), March 2003 – June 2010

  • Led global branding and marketing strategy for Samsung Electronics.

  • Developed comprehensive brand strategy frameworks (guidelines, target profiles, storytelling, brand pyramid, key elements).

  • Oversaw global insight research and strategy intelligence projects.

  • Managed global brand tracking systems (Link, BAS, MEM, MCA).

  • Directed global segmentation and positioning strategies.

  • Formulated regional communication strategies for markets including China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Europe, India, Australia, and Nigeria.

  • Developed Olympic marketing strategies for Athens 2004, Torino 2006, and Beijing 2008.

  • Designed brand strategy for Hankook Tire.

Senior Planner, Global Brand Strategy Team (New York), January 2002 – February 2003 (Seconded to FCB New York)

  • Developed Samsung Electronics' global brand communication strategy:

    • Brand Essence: Designing Sensational Technology

    • Target: Sensible Brand Buyer

    • Positioning: Samsung DigitAll, Everyone’s Invited

    • Campaign Structure: Anthem / Pillar

Senior Consultant, Brand Marketing Research Institute, February 1999 – December 2001

  • Delivered over 20 brand marketing consulting projects and developed proprietary tools.

  • Led major consulting projects for brands including SK Enclean, Seoul Milk, Samsung Russia, Raemian, Daekyo, Samsung Card, KTF, Samsung Camera.

  • Executed marketing consulting for KT&G, KOBACO, Samsung Securities, MBC.

  • Directed nationwide consumer survey projects (ACR/CTR).

Product Planning Manager, Samsung Motors, March 1995 – January 1999

  • Conducted nationwide consumer surveys (AIO, A&U) to guide product planning and market analysis.

  • Managed product clinic projects for SM5 models (including taxis).

  • Performed product value assessments (160 attributes), pricing strategy, and sales forecasting.

Marketing Manager, Samsung C&T Corporation, February 1991 – February 1995

  • Developed brand portfolio and architecture strategy.

  • Created brand structure aligned with launch, extension, or withdrawal strategies.

  • Conducted over 40 qualitative and quantitative research projects.

  • Built forecasting tools to support strategic marketing and sales planning.

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