CEO Insights Magazine

Being the second-largest digital economy in the Southeast Asia region, Thailand has a thriving TV Home Shopping sector. The ever-growing digital evolution in the country combined with high market penetration and low-priced products has been helping the industry grow further, with many international and renowned home shopping investors joining hands with local brands to enter the market. Among the plethora of options, one organization that stands out from the rest in terms of strong market infrastructure and Omni channel strategy is TRUE GS COMPANY. The firm, with a strong customer base of over four million, is shifting focus from its core competency to new sales channels for growth. The firm aims to transcend TV and be a media leader across evolving customer touchpoints. At the helm of its operation in Thailand is Yoonjae Shin, a passionate industry leader with over one and a half decades of extensive experience in the industry. As the COO of the firm, Yoonjae has done an outstanding job of guiding the firm to become a leading force in the highly competitive sector. Being a Korean, Yoonjae’s perseverance and strong leadership abilities to successfully lead a Thailand-based team is commendable and applause-worthy.

In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights ASIA, Yoonjae sheds light on his overall industry experience, his leadership approach, and much more.

Could you give a brief account of your professional background and experiences?

I started my career as a Producer at GS Home Shopping (Current, GS Retail (GSR)) in 2010. GS Home Shopping is considered the top TV home shopping network in Korea, where we were working on advertising various products on TV and enticing the customers to buy them. Being a producer was similar to having frontline communication with the audiences. However, each of the product advertisements had a limited time block. A Producer's job is to bring out and advertise the USPs of a product for a restricted time duration while making it engaging for the customers.  

Later, our CEO formed a team, called the Biz Innovation Team, whose primary job was to explore the evolution of TV home shopping in terms of market strategy as well as technical innovation in the near future and pitch them to our CEO. I was one of those employees selected across departments to join the team. That whole experience helped widen my outlook regarding other industries and technologies. However, I found my overall experience was limited to the Korean market. So, I considered going overseas and volunteered myself. 

During that time, GSR was diversifying its portfolios while expanding its overseas market. The firm believed that I could contribute to the Thailand market to improve its operations and sales. So, I came to Thailand in 2017 and started working on the TV Production. After a few years, I was promoted and entrusted with more responsibilities. Today, my overall responsibility is not just limited to the TV Home Shopping business but spread across business verticals, such as e-commerce, telesales, retail, call center, warehouse logistics, and merchandising. Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?

My leadership approach revolves around empowerment, collaborations, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. I strongly believe in leading by example and cultivating a shared vision among the team. We set clear goals for the team while guiding them throughout the journey to achieve them. At the same time, I  understand that it's not always possible to strictly follow the set guidelines. So, I usually try to find a balance between the guidelines and the end goal. As a leader, you have to stick to the end goal.

You need to be accessible and open for discussions with the team. I always encourage my team to share their views while we try to solve the problems together. You have to let the team make small decisions by themselves while ensuring that they don't breach the line. You also have to stick to the end goals. If the plan doesn’t work, quickly change the plan, but never the end goal. As a leader, I take up the responsibility to decide in terms of finding the quickest as well as the most efficient way to achieve the goals.  What are the major challenges you have initially encountered while establishing yourself as a successful leader? How did you overcome them to emerge as a successful professional?

One of the major challenges I faced at the early stage as a leader was earning the trust and credibility of people as a leader. I am the only foreigner at True GS, with all other staff as well as the management from Thailand. Being a foreigner, I had to overcome various hurdles at the beginning to earn the trust of my staff and management. I am a huge admirer of one of the quotes by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, that says- 'Don’t be a know-it-all. Be a learn-it-all'.

One of the major tasks assigned to me by the headquarters was to implement the know-how strategy of the Koreans at the Thai workplace. However, when I came here, I realized that people have adapted well to the Thai way of doing things. So, instead of changing them, I started looking into the details of each process, which eventually helped me a lot in terms of earning my staff's trust. Gradually, even the staff in Thailand started realizing that I had learned most of the processes and was not there for ideal talks but to guide the business at our Thailand branch to grow in a more practical way.

What is the future destination you are heading towards? In light of your strong experience within the industry, what advice would you give to budding industry leaders?

My future roadmap includes leveraging my experience and expertise to drive meaningful changes and innovation within the industry. Whether it's spearheading digital transformation initiatives, expanding into new markets, or fostering strategic partnerships, I'm committed to leading the organization toward sustainable growth and long-term success. I am also curiously looking into how AI can be used in the TV homeshopping business. For instance, you can use an AI shopping host for the shows.

My advice for budding industry leaders is to listen intently, sincerely, and with an open mind. One of the most valuable traits a leader can possess is the ability to listen actively and empathetically. True leadership isn't just about giving orders or making decisions. It's about understanding the needs, concerns, and perspectives of those around you. By actively listening to your team members, colleagues, or stakeholders, you not only foster trust and collaboration but also gain valuable insights that can help you drive growth through efficient decision-making and problemsolving skillsets. Leadership is not a solo endeavor. It's about harnessing the collective wisdom and creativity of those you lead. 

Yoonjae Shin, COO,  True GS Company 

A passionate industry leader with over one and a half decades of extensive experience across various domains, such as Creative Content Creation, Retail, Commercials, E-Commerce, Home Shopping, Product Development, and International Trade, Yoonjae Shin started his career as a Producer at GS Home Shopping Korea before joining the firm’s Thailand division in 2017. In his current role as the COO at TRUE GS COMPANY, he has been guiding the firm to become a leading force in the highly competitive sector.

•Hobbies: Golfing, Cooking •Favorite Cuisine: Korean •Favorite Book: Start with Why by Simon Sinek •Favorite Travel Destination: Europe, Italy

Awards & Recognition: •Won the Best Value Award in 2019 by GS Retail