[On the Job] Enhancing LG’s Corporate Value Through Investor Relations

[News Reporter]

In this installment of On the Job, we explore LG’s IR Division and their efforts to communicate with key stakeholders, sharing progress updates and future plans to enhance the company’s value.

Effective investor relations (IR) are critical to a company’s success, fostering transparency by providing clear and accurate information to investors, analysts and other stakeholders. The role of IR professionals is evolving globally to encompass important corporate functions including sustainability. Rather than merely serving as liaisons between the organization and the financial community, IR teams are increasingly becoming strategic partners, playing a vital role in advancing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives that go beyond traditional sustainability reporting.

As a company that has always prioritized transparent communications with customers or investors alike, LG has carefully constructed a highly skilled team of IR practitioners. In this installment of On the Job, we get an “up close” look at LG’s IR Division to learn about their tasks, the challenges they face and what motivates them to excel in their field.

The primary mission of an IR organization is to ensure fair business valuation, create an environment conducive to raising funds through capital markets and maintain a stable shareholder base.

“To achieve this, our Division handles a range of tasks, from responding to investors and overseeing corporate disclosures to announcing earnings and conducting business briefings and shareholder meetings,” said Park Won-jae, head of IR Division at LG Electronics.

IR activities can be broadly categorized into three main areas: enhancing capital market integrity by ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and laws in information sharing; communicating with investors about the company’s management status, strategies and vision through corporate presentations and conferences; and collaborating with related organizations, such as finance, to establish shareholder return policies like dividends or share buybacks to enhance shareholder value.

LG’s IR Division consists of the IR Planning Team and the IR Communications Team. The IR Communications Team focuses on managing interactions with Korean and international investors and handling activities that require a high level of external engagement. Meanwhile, the IR Planning Team oversees policy-related tasks, such as company information disclosures and shareholder meetings.

Given that each team handles different types of tasks with varying scopes of collaboration and expected outcomes, team members need to possess skills and expertise tailored to their specific responsibilities.

“Members of the IR Planning Team must possess a strong awareness of compliance and a thorough understanding of relevant systems and regulations,” stated Lee Seung-ju, head of the IR Planning Team. “In contrast, the IR Communications Team requires exceptional communication skills, as their role involves extensive interaction with both Korean and global investors.” Additionally, it is crucial for members of both teams to have a comprehensive understanding of capital markets, the industry landscape and the various segments of the company’s operations.

The daily routines of LG’s IR Division members are significantly influenced by the time of year. “Our work follows a distinct cycle that typically aligns with quarterly, semi-annual and annual financial reporting schedules,” explained Kim Seung-hyun, head of the IR Communication Team. “Key recurring tasks include annual events such as the general shareholder meeting, quarterly earnings announcements and Non-Deal Roadshows (NDRs).* As these dates approach, our focus shifts to organizing these events.”

For instance, quarterly earnings announcements are generally shared in late April, July, October and January. “In the roughly 20 days leading up to these announcements, we collaborate closely with various organizations across business units to shape the company’s message to the market,” explained Kim. “We carefully consider how this information might impact our stakeholders once it becomes public.”

The annual general shareholder meeting also demands significant attention, as the IR teams must adhere to strict legal procedures under Korea’s Commercial Act. “We typically begin preparations in the fourth quarter for a meeting scheduled for next March, where we will discuss the previous year’s financial results,” added Lee.

In contrast to these predictable, routine activities, the capital markets are constantly evolving, necessitating flexibility and precision in communications and shareholder policy. “Since we are influenced by external variables, our non-routine tasks often involve new or unfamiliar situations, making IR work highly dynamic,” said Kim.

Skilled, creative and highly dedicated, LG’s IR Division has garnered recognition for its stellar work and commitment to transparent communications. Recently, the Division was honored with the Financial Services Commission Chairman’s Award (Grand Prize) at the 2024 Korea IR Awards hosted by the Korea Investor Relations Service. This accolade is not their first; they received the Grand Prize in the Corporate category in 2021 and the IR Council Chairman’s Award (Excellence Award) last year. This recognition is particularly meaningful as corporate value enhancement has become a key focus in global capital markets. LG has been acknowledged by capital market authorities and experts from various fields for its ongoing efforts to communicate with the market in a structured and sincere manner.

LG’s IR Division has been actively incorporating Future Vision 2030, the company’s mid- to long-term strategic direction, into investor communications. With this far-reaching vision, LG aims to drive sustainable growth by transitioning to a future-oriented business model while building on the world-class competitiveness and expertise it has developed over decades in core businesses such as home appliances. The IR Division’s consistent and genuine commitment to enhancing both corporate and shareholder value has been widely praised.

Since the Future Vision 2030 announcement last July, the company has bolstered external communications around business performance and direction. At major IR events, such as the general shareholder meeting, corporate presentations for international investors and investor forums, top LG executives – including the CEO and CFO – have engaged directly with the market in an open, transparent manner. Starting this year, LG has elevated its regular earnings conference calls. Previously led by IR and business unit management executives, the calls are now directly managed by the CFO.

Additionally, early this year, LG announced a new three-year dividend policy to improve shareholder value, featuring an increased payout ratio, a minimum annual dividend and semi-annual dividend payouts. In August, LG led Korea’s top 10 conglomerates by pre-announcing a value-up program focused on enhancing enterprise value. Then, on October 22, LG unveiled its “Corporate Value Enhancement Plan,” integrating its Future Vision 2030 with additional shareholder initiatives, including a target return on equity (ROE) of 10 percent or higher by 2027. Future actions under consideration include canceling existing treasury shares, additional share buybacks and potentially adopting quarterly dividends.

“Through these steps, we’re consistently demonstrating a sincere and proactive commitment to both corporate and shareholder value enhancement,” explained Lee.

Corporate value isn’t just about the numbers on financial statements; it also includes intangibles like future growth potential, the company’s image and brand value. “We have the major responsibility of representing LG Electronics and communicating its true corporate value to the market,” noted Kim. “We strive to be a model IR organization – one that embodies professionalism, passion and authenticity.”

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* Non-Deal Roadshow (NDR) is an activity where a company’s management meets with investors, analysts and other stakeholders to provide insights into the company’s business strategy, financial performance and future outlook. Unlike a Deal Roadshow (DR), which is focused on promoting a specific securities offering or transaction, NDRs can be seen as an IR activity targeting existing shareholders.