Samsung has a leadership rotation culture whereby it shuffles top leaders of its various business units after a few years. MX, or Mobile eXperience, is the division that makes mobile devices, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and more.
The division's lead has been in the hands of the very capable Tae-Moon Roh, commonly referred to as TM Roh, who took the reins at a very tumultuous time for the organization and has since not only steadied the ship but made major moves that have redefined Samsung's Galaxy products.
Who is TM Roh?
Born in 1968, Tae-Moon Roh President & Head of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics. His appointment to the position was announced on January 20, 2020. Roh took over from Koh Dong-jin (DJ Koh), who had held the position for five years.
Upon his appointment to the top job, Roh became Samsung's youngest-ever president at 51. He has had a long career with the company spanning more than two decades. Prior to him taking over the mobile division, he was the second-in-command at MX under Koh.
Roh did his B.A. in electrical engineering from Yonsei University in 1991, followed by an M.S. in the subject from Pohang University of Science and Technology in 1993. By 1997, he had completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering also from Pohang University of Science and Technology.
Why He Got the Job
Roh is widely regarded as a superb engineering talent who is very particular about phone features. Over this two decades of service with the company, Roh has been highly involved with the development of the Galaxy series as a development specialist. Back when he was appointed, Samsung said that this leadership change would revitalize the organization with new strategies.
Samsung's leadership in the mobile market remains under threat constantly. His tendency to be very decisive would come to the organization's aid as swift decisions were needed to effectively respond to changing market dynamics.
What We Liked
Samsung really needed a fresh perspective on things when Roh took charge. Chinese OEMs were picking away at its lead, the iPhone was becoming ever stronger in key markets, and the Galaxy ecosystem wasn't quite at the level where it should have been at.
We liked how Roh diligently addressed these major challenges, ever before he got the top job. He had previously championed the cause of revamping Samsung's highly popular mid-range lineup which enabled the company to keep Chinese competition at bay. He also pushed for more outsourced production of devices to reduce production costs.
Roh also oversaw the launch and expansion of Samsung's foldable lineup. His belief in the potential of this new form factor and the vision to take foldables from strength to strength have made the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip devices the gold standard for foldable smartphones.
He massively improved the viability of Samsung's mobile division in an increasingly challenging environment. Roh's focus on optimization has made Galaxy devices better in every aspect, he mentioned as much during SamMobile's interaction with him.
Under him, Samsung is no longer throwing as much hardware as possible in devices to win against the competition just so the specs look good on paper. There's a greater focus now on extracting as much as possible from the hardware and pairing that with incredibly optimized software to deliver a much better user experience.
Roh has also overseen a turnaround in Samsung's software. The pace at which updates are sent out has drastically improved. Each new One UI variant is better than the last, with more meaningful and thoughtful changes. Samsung also offers best-in-class support for Android OS and security upgrades, ensuring that users can keep their devices for longer without missing out on new features.
Future of Samsung under Roh
It will likely be more of the same under TM Roh at Samsung. His preferred approach isn't one of shock and awe, but of calculated moves. Roh will continue to evaluate opportunities in the mobile industry as they arise and choose a way forward that strikes a good balance between meeting the wishes of consumers and ensuring long-term stability for the business. That's precisely what makes Roh such a great leader.