Program bridges group with younger generation
Record 1,642 applicants vie for 50 spots
Ham Young-joo pledges support for youth growth
Hana Financial Group launched its 20th cohort of SMART brand ambassadors on Wednesday at its Myeong-dong headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, officially kicking off the activities of 50 college student representatives, the group announced Thursday.
The SMART brand ambassador program, launched in 2012 as the first of its kind in the Korean financial industry, has seen 1,060 participants complete it to date. This year drew a record 1,642 applicants, from whom 50 were selected.
The 20th cohort will serve for approximately two months as a communications bridge between the group and younger generations — its future customers.
The ambassadors will reinterpret the group's mission of "finance that grows together and shares happiness" through a youth lens, carrying out a range of assignments: online and offline brand promotion (Happy Hana), social contribution activities targeting vulnerable groups (Harmony Hana), and on-site activities at the Cheongna headquarters, known as Hana Dream Town (H.Q Hana).
The program has also expanded its field-based activities ahead of the group's planned relocation to the Cheongna headquarters, with a focus on connecting the local community with younger generations. Participants will visit the Cheongna headquarters in person to develop promotional ideas in collaboration with local residents and small business owners, and will submit proposals on new business ventures and future finance through an "Idea League" competition.
ESG activities will continue both at home and abroad. Domestically, ambassadors will conduct volunteer work and financial education for vulnerable groups. Overseas, they plan to help establish the "Hana Happy Class" in Indonesia and take part in education and cultural volunteer activities there.
"The essence of finance lies in warmth," Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said at the ceremony. "I hope you will reinterpret the group's mission with your fresh perspectives and ideas as college students, and serve as a bridge connecting the younger generation with the group."
Meanwhile, Hana Financial continues ESG efforts to support youth entrepreneurship and cultivate digital finance talent through programs including the "Hana Social Venture University" and the "Hana Youth Finance Talent Development" initiative.
forest@heraldcorp.com
