Hana Financial Group on Thursday named Lee Ho-seoung, CEO of its card unit, as the final candidate to lead Hana Bank in a major leadership reshuffle at its subsidiaries.

The group announced that its CEO recommendation committee had finalized candidates for top posts at three key subsidiaries -- Hana Bank, Hana Card and Hana Securities -- focusing on candidates with expertise in internal controls and sales.

“Amid heightened volatility and uncertainty in domestic and global financial markets, we have chosen a CEO candidate capable of strengthening risk management and internal controls while fostering a customer-focused and field-driven organizational culture,” the committee said.

Lee, a seasoned sales veteran, joined Hana Bank in 1992 and has held key leadership roles, including head of the Central Sales Group, the Yeongnam District Sales Group and the overall Sales Group.

The committee lauded his accomplishments as Hana Card CEO, including the launch of the travel-focused "Travelog" card. Within 25 months of its launch, the card reached 6 million members and captured half of the local banking industry's overseas debit card market.

In his second year as CEO, Hana Card reported a net profit of 184.4 billion won in the third quarter of 2024, a 44.7 percent on-year increase, surpassing the total net profit for all of 2023.

Incumbent Hana Bank CEO Lee Seung-lyul will step down to focus on his new role as vice chairman, overseeing stable business management and enhancing corporate value.

The committee re-elected Hana Securities CEO Kang Seong-muk for another two-year term. Kang, also a recognized sales expert, previously led several sales groups at Hana Bank before taking on executive roles at the group’s investment subsidiaries and becoming CEO of the brokerage unit in 2023.

Sung Young-su, Hana Bank's deputy president leading the Corporate Investment Banking Division, has been tapped as Lee’s successor as Hana Card CEO.

Meanwhile, the committee noted that the nomination process for the new banking CEO began in September, in accordance with local regulations requiring the process to start three months before the current CEO's term ends.

The recommended candidates will undergo final evaluations by the executive nomination committees, boards of directors and shareholders of each subsidiary.