Asia-Pacific Power List 2021: Stephanie Choi, Samsung

Stephanie (Seung-Hun) Choi

SVP and head of marketing, mobile
Samsung Electronics
Korea
New member

Since taking on the role as Samsung’s lead marketer of mobile products in 2018, Choi has forged ahead with the brand’s mission to become more human-centric.  Through the strategic planning, development and execution of countless global marketing initiatives, Choi’s work is aimed at opening up new experiences and possibilities for millions of Galaxy users and fans around the world, especially the next generation of consumers. 

Some of her most daring works include Galaxy A’s ‘Awesome is for Everyone’, centered on making the latest technology accessible to a broader consumer base, and ‘The Future Unfolds,’ a campaign aimed at defying barriers and defining a new product category with the Galaxy Z foldable smartphones. Earlier this year, in April, Choi took a lead role in Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked product event, announcing the aim of treating laptops more like smartphones. That was followed by a ‘Museum of Laptops’ campaign depicting the stark need for more user-friendliness in a neighbouring category.

Meanwhile, Choi pursued strategic collaborations including joint marketing with Microsoft around the smartphone-PC experience, the introduction of a new foldable UX with Google, and the new lineup of 2021 Galaxy Book devices with Intel. On top of that, she oversees the company’s worldwide partnership with the Olympic Games, and countless collaborations in art, music and fashion, including Korean pop icons BTS. 

Choi has also strengthened Samsung’s aim of encouraging more sustainability through its technology, including expanding the Galaxy Upcycling program. Under her leadership, a Samsung and UNDP partnership in 2019 yielded the Samsung Global Goals app. Now on over 100 million smartphones worldwide, the app is designed to increase awareness of SDGs among the Galaxy community and provide simple tips to accelerate progress. In 2020, Samsung followed up with a new initiative, Generation17, to help young leaders improve global communities through mentorship, technology and peer networking. 

On first joining Samsung in 2016, Choi led a revamp of its global retail experience by transforming Samsung stores into community-oriented experience centers. In addition, Choi says her personal mission is to bring together global marketing teams with diverse backgrounds and experiences to make Samsung's marketing efforts truly inclusive and equitable, and to champion women leadership within the STEM marketing industry by acting as a mentor.

Choi’s successful track record in global consumer marketing was first cultivated over a 25-year career at Johnson & Johnson where she served as general manager of baby and beauty products in Japan, then as Korea managing director and later as the first Korean woman president of J&J baby care globally.