LG made its selection for the next leader of its struggling mobile division.
In an effort to save the business unit from dying off, the South Korean company chose Brian Kwon. He's been at the helm of LG's home entertainment division and transformed several units into category leaders. Over the last few years, Kwon has worked on televisions, audio, and computers. Aside from those areas, Kwon brings in vital experience in global operations.
The mobile division hasn't improved in the last year. Hwang Jeong-hwan took over the unit in late 2017, but LG's high-end and mid-range devices failed to gain momentum in the months following that shakeup. It's now Kwon's task to navigate a turnaround.
From its press release, LG seemed to stop short of full-blown appreciation for Jeong-hwan's service. The company expressed gratitude for his ability to guide quality assurance and product development efficiency. Of course, that doesn't do much for sales. LG needs to sell phones and tablets more than anything else.
The recognition within the mobile industry isn't completely gone, but consumers no longer look at LG as a top-tier brand. While it always struggled to keep up with Apple and Samsung, LG always looked like a reliable third-place player. Yet the company failed to invest in cutting-edge technologies, so it continued losing ground to names like Huawei and Xiaomi.
It depends how far along in development the 2019 flagship is, but Kwon could make an immediate impact on LG's mobile division early next year. He'll begin in the new post on December 1, 2018. Then a new strategy gets set in motion for a big comeback.
