Samsung has announced that it has appointed Lee Sang-chul as the new head of strategic marketing for its mobile business, replacing Kim Seok-pil. This move comes just a month before the expected launch of its next-generation flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6. Prior to taking charge of this important role, Lee Sang-chul used to be head of operations at the South Korean giant's business in Russia, and has also headed the company's operations in Latin America. Apparently, this switch is nothing related to performance, and that Kim Seok-pil stepped down from his position due to health related issues, and is expected to return at a later time.
The new head of marketing for Samsung's mobile business will also look after the launch of the Galaxy S6 (and possibly the Galaxy S6 Edge). The success of the Galaxy S6 this year is critical for Samsung as its mobile earnings slid 64 percent from an year earlier in October-December. Analysts say that Samsung can't afford another flop in the high-end segment after relatively poorer performance of the Galaxy S5. Recently, numbers from a research firm pointed that Apple might have overtook Samsung as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
