The distinguished AIS Leadership Excellence Award is presented annually at ICIS to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation in the use and development of information systems.
AIS and the ICIS 2017 Organizing Committee are pleased announce that the Keynote Address at ICIS 2017 will be delivered by Ji-Hoon Rim, CEO of Kakao. Following the address, Rim will be presented with the 2017 Leadership Excellence Award.
The Association for Information Systems Leadership Excellence Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and innovation in the use and development of information systems. The award winner is selected following evaluation from the Association for Information Systems Leadership Excellence Award Committee, consisting of a chairperson, the current, immediate past, and elected presidents of AIS, the AIS executive director, and the ICIS conference chair.
Rim is the second recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award, with Facebook CIO Atish Banerjea receiving the inaugural award last year.
Since being named CEO of Kakao in September 2015, Rim has emphasized innovation in the use and development of information systems in various key business areas, particularly communication, commerce and advertising. Kakao’s content business has also been a strong point for the company both domestically and internationally. MelOn has solidified its position as the premier music streaming service in Korea, while Kakao Games’ publishing arm has produced a number of blockbuster titles for both PC and mobile. Additionally, Kakao Japan’s Piccoma has been an unqualified success, ranking among the highest-grossing and most downloaded content platforms in Japan. Through these efforts, Kakao reported record quarterly revenues for both second and third quarter of 2017.
Rim’s concerted efforts to strengthen the company’s signature platform Kakao Talk have produced meaningful results. Kakao Talk Store, a commerce channel that allows for effortless buying and selling utilizing the company’s Plus Friend platform is preparing for its official launch. In addition, users have quickly embraced the simple yet reliable shopping and delivery experience offered by Kakao Talk Order and Kakao Talk Mart, commerce services launched in early 2017. A reservation service that offers similar convenience is expected to launch within the year, as Kakao Talk continues to evolve into an all-in-one business solution.
Building a vibrant artificial intelligence platform has also been one of Rim’s key focuses. Kakao’s A.I. ecosystem is comprised of three major components. Kakao I, a comprehensive platform that serves as the Brain, Kakao I Open Builder, which allows businesses and users to create custom AI services, and Kakao I Inside, an authentication mark for products and services utilizing Kakao I. The company is currently co-operating with several key partners, including Samsung Electronics and Hyundai/Kia Motors, to incorporate its A.I. technology into a wide variety of fields including automobiles, consumer electronics, home services, and brick and mortar stores, with plans to make Kakao I available to business of all sizes beginning next year.