LG Uplus names ex-AT&T data expert as new data chief

South Korean telecommunication company LG Uplus has named Gabe Hwang, former executive at AT&T and WarnerMedia, as its inaugural chief data officer in its push for an innovation to enhance consumer experience and boost productivity, the company said Monday.

Hwang will lead data-related businesses of LG Uplus from delivering data capabilities for client to the company’s artificial intelligence integration and digital transformation.

Hwang’s addition will allow LG Uplus to offer AI-powered recommendation of gadgets, mobile data plans and promotions to consumers, boost productivity of its customer services center with AI-run voice recognition and chatbots, strengthen its comprehensive data service under a state-led MyData initiative, and provide mom-and-pop store operators with trade area analysis, LG Uplus said in a statement.

Hwang‘s term of service has been in effect since January, the company added.

The news comes seven months after LG Uplus, a telecommunication affiliate of Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group, went through a reshuffle to create a new division that is solely dedicated to digital transformation, along with other affiliates such as LG Electronics and LG Household & Health Care.

Before joining LG Uplus, Hwang was based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas to serve various roles for data-driven business transformation. He was formerly vice president of product, data platform and data monetization at US entertainment firm WarnerMedia, a subsidiary of AT&T. He was also head of content intelligence practice at AT&T Big Data to lead development of advanced data science models.

By Son Ji-hyoung (consnow@heraldcorp.com)