James Kim ’84

James Kim ’84 has been the country manager and CEO of Microsoft Korea since 2009. In July 2014, he was invited as an alumni speaker at the UCLA reception in Seoul with Chancellor Block. During his remarks Kim recounted fond memories of his formative experiences at UCLA and urged alumni to give back. He welcomed young alumni to talk to him about internships at Microsoft and encouraged working alumni to mentor UCLA students. A passionate Bruin, he has reconnected with his alma mater and has committed his support to help engage fellow Bruins living in Seoul.

As CEO of Microsoft Korea, Kim helped drive a turnaround of Microsoft’s operations in Korea. At the end of his first full year of operations, Microsoft Korea was named the Top Subsidiary among worldwide Microsoft subsidiaries based on growth, scorecard, financial performance, customer satisfaction and employee development. Under Kim’s leadership, Microsoft Korea went on to win Top Subsidiary for three consecutive years. In 2011, Microsoft Korea was nominated as the Best Employer in Korea for the first time in its history. All of these successes with Microsoft Korea are especially important because South Korea doubles as a crucial consumer and technology test market. In 2009, Kim predicted that “a significant part of the company’s new growth would come from online services and mobile-based technologies” and has worked in the ensuing years to help with that transition.

At the end of 2013, Kim became the first Korean-American to be elected as chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea). Kim’s appointment is an example of the increasing role that Korean-Americans are playing in the promotion of political and business ties between South Korea and the United States. He had previously served as vice chairman of AMCHAM Korea since January 2012. Kim is seen as an excellent appointment to this post because he is fluent in Korean and fully understands the local culture and people. He has already taken steps to increase predictability and transparency in the marketplace in hopes of improving foreign investment in South Korea.

Prior to leading Microsoft Korea, Kim was CEO of Yahoo! Korea and also served as the Asia regional vice president of Overture (a wholly owned subsidiary of Yahoo!). Prior to Yahoo!, he was the managing partner at Palisades Advisors, a turnaround consulting firm based in New York. Before that, Kim held other positions at Corcoran.com, Vivien International and AT&T.

Kim’s motto is “ACT to win,” which stands for accountability, communication and teamwork. He has disseminated this motto throughout Microsoft Korea and used it as a guiding principal of his leadership there.

When asked about success Kim explains that it could mean a lot of different things – from becoming an executive to having a happy family. He stresses that helping others should always be included in a plan for success. Kim also has advice for those who want to pursue careers in business, suggesting that students and young professionals should work to increase their skillset and personal value, through exemplary work.

Kim holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in economics from UCLA. He is married with two sons. As an avid tennis player, Kim enjoys competitive sports.