“I’m glad to have taken part in such a fun and meaningful event,” said Seok-Nyoung Cha from the MX Division. “I hope we can all think deeply and act together to fight biases, stereotypes and discrimination.”

More than 700 employees took time to thank the female colleagues and family members in their life at another event. At the DX Division’s Female Executives’ workshop, hosted since 2021, female executives held candid conversations with the CEO to discuss the company’s vision and ways to foster female leaders. Additionally, a mentoring program for female developers will be launched this year.

Employees hold up heart hands — the official International Women’s Day gesture — in front of a photo wall set up by the DX Division.

Starting this March, the Device Solutions (DS) Division will organize monthly activities to build awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values among its employees. After selecting DEI topics centered on women, people with disabilities, caregivers and foreigners, the division will hold contests and training sessions each month that give employees a chance to learn how to show support for one another. Furthermore, the division will conduct interviews with female leaders in celebration of International Women’s Month and relay their thoughts on female leadership and how younger women can grow in their careers.

Outside of Korea, the company will partner with Dress For Success (DFS)[1] in five countries — the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands and Singapore — to organize clothing donation drives to help women get jobs and gain financial independence. Webinars and seminars that raise awareness about DEI will be held as well.

Last November, the DX division established the DEI office to reflect DEI values in all areas of the business, identify areas of improvement and further promote an inclusive corporate culture. To this end, the office checks the company’s systems and culture for discriminatory practices and holds training sessions and campaigns to give employees an accurate understanding of these values. In addition, the office supports voluntary Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) dedicated to DEI that facilitate discussions on the company’s diversity status and improvement goals through the DEI Council, in which the company’s executives take part.

“It is of the utmost importance to operate a diverse and equitable system. We believe that innovative products and services can emerge from a culture where DEI is respected,” said Jinhee Nam, Secretary General of the DEI Office at Samsung Electronics. “Our office established a global DEI policy and plans to operate various programs to increase diversity and create an inclusive organizational culture.”

Jong-Hee Han, Vice Chairman and CEO of the DX Division at Samsung Electronics, and Kye Hyun Kyung, President and CEO of the DS Division at Samsung Electronics, delivered a company-wide message to employees calling for gender equality and highlighting the importance of DEI in honor of International Women’s Day. “I would like to express my gratitude to all the female employees in the DS Division who are doing their best,” said Kyung. “We will help all employees realize their full potential to achieve both personal and professional growth at Samsung,” Han assured.

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[1] Founded in New York City in 1997 to help unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence.

To honor International Women’s Day on March 8 and reflect on the value of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Samsung Newsroom sat down with Samsung employees from different backgrounds ­— from executives to new hires and DEI managers — to hear their thoughts on the company’s thriving DEI culture.

“Diversity is the engine of sustainable growth in a global company, and Samsung is committed to Innovation for All,” said Younghee Lee, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Global Marketing at Samsung Electronics.

“As a global company, our brand philosophy emphasizes solving customers’ problems and helping them enjoy a better life, regardless of their region, race or gender in any part of the world. We are making an effort to genuinely share this value with customers while supporting our mission throughout the organization,” she said.

Lee urged employees to establish a culture of accepting differences by “listening to colleagues’ opinions and having open discussions so that each person can fully realize their capabilities based on their unique background.”

In celebration of International Women’s Day, she advised women to always be themselves and trust their potential. “I believe that if women challenge themselves and pursue what they truly want — in a way that’s true to who they are, rather than blindly following others — it will be a meaningful step forward not only for them but also for society as a whole.”

As a designer for Samsung Electronics’ Interaction Design Team responsible for inclusive design, Gunho Chae considers the brand’s wide customer base to develop products and services that respect the diversity of all users.

Samsung developed a glossary of terms to inform its inclusive language and created guidelines and training materials so employees are well-equipped to incorporate DEI values into all user interface elements and images.

“Samsung accepts all customers and recognizes their differences — regardless of their age, disability, family structure, gender identity, race, culture or socioeconomic status,” said Chae. “We respect all users and strive to make our products, services, manuals and advertisements relevant to our customers for an enhanced user experience.”

Michelle Anne Manglal-Lan, who oversees DEI at Samsung Electronics America, seeks to create an environment where employees can smoothly communicate, understand and learn from each other. She is particularly committed to providing motivation to female employees and fostering a corporate culture where they feel empowered to unlock their potential. Last year, she organized the Americas Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) conference to establish a network for collaboration and share best practices in DEI.

“The ERGs were born out of our employees’ interest and engagement with DEI,” said Manglal-Lan. “Together, we are stronger and can achieve our goals faster. I’m proud of the fact that Samsung Electronics America is the first office to launch an ERG.”

A new employee at Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display (VD) Division, Jiyoon Jang realized the company was more diverse than she had imagined when she first stepped foot in Digital City, Samsung’s Suwon office. “We received DEI training during our new employee onboarding sessions, and I realized the importance of an inclusive culture in a place with such a diverse group of people.”

“I knew Samsung made donations to social responsibility efforts,” she said. “Since joining I also learned that the company is sincerely committed to developing technologies that are truly inclusive.”

Relumino Mode for people with low vision and Audible Subtitles for people who are hard of hearing are among some of the projects the VD Division has developed to make the company’s products more accessible — and align with the department’s slogan, Screens for All.

“I hope the products that I work on in the future will contribute to diversity and inclusion and that I will be able to take pride in what I do,” Jang said. “I believe that discrimination against minorities and intergenerational conflicts stem from ignorance, so I am working hard to educate myself by attending sessions and reading about diversity, equity and inclusion whenever I get the opportunity.”