Commencement Speaker & Honorary Degree Recipient
Doctor of Letters

Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary

Michael (Myeong Kyu) Ahn is this year’s speaker for the Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 8, 2010. He will also receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
From January 2004 through March 2010, Mr. Ahn was president and chief executive officer of LG Electronics North America, the regional headquarters of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force in consumer electronics, mobile communications, and home appliances. After retiring from a 34-year career, he is now senior advisor to LG. He provides strategic counsel to LG Electronics and advises small- and medium-size businesses, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

In this role, Mr. Ahn successfully realigned LG’s multi-faceted North American operations into a single, consolidated business structure, while building the LG brand into a top-tier player in the company’s core business areas. As CEO, he provided strategic direction for LG Electronics activities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, encompassing LG Home Entertainment, Home Appliances, Mobile Phones, Business Solutions, and Air Conditioning products, as well as related service and support activities.

Mr. Ahn’s role as senior advisor capitalizes on his broad U.S. management experience and his extensive background in corporate management, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and technology. His experience also included key management roles as executive vice president for the LG Digital Appliance Company, president of LG Electronics’ German subsidiary, senior vice president of engineering, manufacturing, quality, and service for LG’s Zenith subsidiary, and head of LG’s U.S. OEM operations.

His straightforward management style and an intense focus on customer relations, Mr. Ahn was responsible for leading the corporate strategies driving LG Electronics’ integration, development, and growth in North America for six years. Under his leadership, LG Electronics’ revenues in North America grew 20 percent annually from $5.6 billion to more than $13 billion.