When I first started at LG Electronics back in 1993, only men received the opportunity to work on the LG HVAC business across the globe. I was the first female employee to be dispatched from our Korean-based headquarters as a project manager, working first in New Jersey, then Canada, followed by a stint in Europe, then back to New Jersey and now Georgia.
I was initially attracted to the huge influence of LG in the Korean market and, upon graduation from college, I knew I wanted to be a part of a company like LG that could make a significant positive impact on consumers’ lives.
When I first started my career in the HVAC industry, I didn’t have much knowledge on its various products and services. But through my early experiences in sales and marketing, I was able to gain expertise in LG-specific products, culture and company values. I am proud to have been chosen to represent our brand and grow the LG HVAC business around the world, as a result of the confidence my colleagues have had in me, gender aside.
Through my 15 years of experience at LG and my various stints abroad with the company, I’ve spent my entire career working for and watching the company develop and implement unprecedented energy solutions on a global scale. It’s been an absolute joy being a part of an organization that is as passionate as I am about delivering unparalleled energy efficient solutions to customers.
Whether we’re outfitting new sustainable buildings that are subject to stringent energy-efficient requirements or supporting equally challenging retrofit projects, our air solutions have always provided exceptional versatility for both architects and contractors.
In order to stay at the forefront of technological innovations, we’re always enhancing our infrastructure and harnessing brilliant and creative talent that will help us get there.
My advice to other women looking to embark on a career in HVAC and energy solutions is not to consider gender as a factor. In my experience at LG at least, I haven’t seen it as an inhibitor of my personal career growth. If you possess the expertise and experience that will help the company achieve its goals, those characteristics are considered valuable, regardless of whether you are a man or woman.
I’m excited to be a part of any initiative that helps create more exposure to the women already in the field, but I attribute a lot of my success to having the confidence in myself that will allow me to get where I want to be and working for a company that values diversity.
While working on building strong business-to-business relationships for the LG Air Conditioning division, I’m eager to expand our reach straight to consumers to illustrate the sustainability features our products provide without sacrificing design.
In celebration of a recent HVAC installation at The Vermont, a luxury apartment complex in Los Angeles, we hosted a special event titled “LG’s Living Case Study: innovative HVAC Application in a Luxury High Rise” in May.
The event featured live demonstrations of the award-winning Energy Star Art Cool Gallery and a rooftop tour highlighting LG’s innovative Multi V III Heat Recovery system. Though communicating directly with consumers is new territory for us, it will become increasingly important to continuing to expand the market for our energy saving solutions within the HVAC industry.
I believe the HVAC industry is more so characterized by relationships than anything else, and these types of events will help us foster those. Professional sophistication and support built from long-term relationships with key industry leaders are the elements that will help drive not only the business but your career. Product innovation is the most important thing LG pursues, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the effort to provide long-term efficiency and energy savings through our products and partnerships in the United States.
Ellen Kim is senior vice president of LG Electronics USA, Inc. She joined LG Group in 1993 starting her career in the Overseas Strategic Planning Division; she expanded her role to sales and marketing in Air Conditioning Business when she transferred to LG Electronics in 1996. She has worked in U.S. subsidiary starting in the year 2000 as the product manager for air conditioning business under Digital Appliance BU. In this role, she has contributed to penetrating LG branded air conditioners into the big national retail channels and achieving No.1 market share for residential air conditioners. In 2006, she became the AE Sales & Marketing Team Leader for Europe region and also served as the North America Regional Business Leader from 2008. Recently, she moved to Paris and served as the Director of AE Business Support Division for the Europe region once more. Returning to U.S. subsidiary in 2014, she is now in charge of Commercial and Residential Air Conditioning system, LED Lighting, Solar and OEM Compressor business.