EXCLUSIVE-Samsung non-memory chip unit faces leadership vacuum as core designers exit - IT조선

Core talent at Samsung Electronics' System LSI division, which oversees the company's non-memory chip design, is leaving in a series of departures, raising concerns over a leadership vacuum at the unit. External experts and veteran engineers with decades of experience, who have led the expansion of the Exynos processor and ISOCELL sensor markets, are resigning one after another, according to industry sources and LinkedIn profiles on April 14. Kang Sang-yeol, Vice President and Head of the Architecture Research Lab, resigned in early April, just one year and 10 months after being scouted from Qualcomm. Kang had been leading research on RISC-V-based CPU design and memory-centric artificial intelligence (AI) system architecture at the company's research center in San Jose, California. Kang is currently confirmed to be seeking new opportunities in Silicon Valley. The departure of the executive, who previously led Samsung Electronics' "Exit ARM" strategy and the establishment of an independent AI semiconductor roadmap, is interpreted as a result of contract termination and personnel relocation following changes in the strategic utilization of his area of expertise. Lee Je-seok, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Sensor Business Team, also resigned recently after 32 years at the company. Lee is considered a "living witness" of Samsung’s image sensor brand, ISOCELL, and is credited with leading the development of the world's first 100-megapixel and 200-megapixel sensors, as well as securing a spot in Apple’s supply chain. Following his resignation, Lee is reportedly preparing to launch an image sensor startup. On social media, he posted an image signaling a "stealth mode" startup with global experts, stating he would "redefine the future of imaging in January 2027." Industry observers are closely watching as a key designer of Samsung's proprietary technology could emerge as a potential competitor. Lee Jong-pil, Managing Director and Head of the Design Implementation Group within the SoC Business Team, also left in March after 23 years. A specialist in high-performance SoCs, he spearheaded the implementation of Exynos processors based on 2-nanometer and 3-nanometer Gate-All-Around (GAA) processes, achieving a 18% reduction in chip area and a 40% cut in power consumption. Global partners and colleagues expressed regret over his departure. Michael Pollack, an engineer at Samsung’s Israel R&D Center, noted that "Samsung has lost its best talent," while Yoel Yaffe, a former Vice President and CTO of the Israel R&D Center, emphasized that the company lost an expert who mastered everything from strategy to technical optimization. Lee's next move remains unconfirmed. The vacuum in design leadership could lead to a decline in product competitiveness. Without stable leadership, momentum may stall for both the 2-nanometer next-generation Exynos and the image sensor business, which is currently chasing Sony. Industry experts worry that a break in decades of design know-how will inevitably slow the pace of narrowing the technical gap with competitors. Some industry analysts attribute the talent outflow to chronic compensation issues and a rigid corporate culture. There is also a view that core logic chip designers are leaving due to "disillusionment" with the collective actions and "excessive compensation demands" of the labor union, which is centered on memory production workers. "There is a deep sense of deprivation within the System LSI division because they feel they are treated less favorably than the Memory division," said an industry source who requested anonymity. "Morale is at a serious level not only among executives but also among ace-level engineers." Notably, external talents recruited with great effort tend to leave around the two-year mark. The repeated failure of these key hires to settle within the organization suggests a need to re-examine the recruitment system itself. Samsung's ability to retain talent is being tested amid a global war for technical hegemony. "If Samsung continues to stick to compensation principles obsessed only with immediate profitability, the System LSI workforce will inevitably leave due to relative deprivation," said Kim Yong-seok, an emeritus professor at Gachon University’s Semiconductor College. "A strategic decision is needed to guarantee treatment at Silicon Valley levels through independent operations or special management of the unit." Hwang Yong-sik, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, added, "Core talent moves freely based on the logic of capital and personal growth potential. While institutional measures like security pledges are important to prevent technology leakage, the priority is for the company to build a flexible organizational culture and wage system that talent prefers." [email protected]