[Job Interview] Director Ahn Won-ki – EP 1. Why a management expert with 20 years of experience went to the drone delivery site

EP 1. Why a management professional with 20 years of experience went to the drone delivery site

Q. Please introduce yourself.

We have more than 20 years of experience and various field experience.
My first job was a listed company, and I started working with big companies
I’ve been in charge of finance, disclosure, personnel affairs, and general affairs, which are management.
From the last year to the 8th to 9th year, I worked like that and built up the basics.

After that, my career changed as I moved to a Japanese advertising agency.
I was in charge of Japanese finance there, and I first encountered Japanese,
Now, there is no problem with communication at all.
I’ve been in charge of management at that company for about 10 years.

I joined WEFLO in 2022.
At first, it came into financial management and operation,
Due to the nature of startups, business perspectives such as VC investment linkage and sales securing are more urgent
I naturally moved on to the business.
Now, I am in charge of the domestic B2G business, especially the drone delivery demonstration project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Q. I’d like to know why you joined WEFLO.

I’ve been in charge of management for 10 years at an advertising agency,
The sense of the industry naturally accumulated.
When you talk to PR people, marketers, and advertisement planning people, your knowledge melts.
At that time, I met CEO Kim Eui-jung, and at first, he asked me to help promote the company.

While working for about 3 months, I promoted with WEFLO.
I’ll ask the PR experts around me about the shortcomings.
Then, around the fall of 2022, the CEO suggested that we do the business together.

It wasn’t an easy decision to organize the company I worked for 10 years.
At the age of 50, there were other suggestions,
I was also worried about how long the start-up would be able to go.

But that’s exactly what I thought.
‘If it’s not now, I won’t have a chance to experience a start-up.’
Even if you go to a company with better conditions, you may not be able to endure it in two to three years,
Rather, I decided that if there is synergy in a new field, I can go much further.
I don’t have any regrets right now.

Q. Can you explain the transition from the management support team leader to the general manager of the domestic business?

Communication with local governments began to take place in the second half of 2023.
There were several opportunities for B2G business with places like Jeju and Yeosu,
At that time, C-levels had to focus on VC meetings and IR to play investment rounds.
It wasn’t like there were a lot of people, and the management wasn’t just sitting in the office
I was able to go outside and do it at the same time.

The full-fledged transition was in connection with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s drone demonstration project in 2024.
It was necessary to respond to local governments nationwide, but local government contacts were already piled up before that I decided that it would be right for me to do it.

Local government officials don’t want the person in charge to change.
If it changes once and twice, the company’s credibility decreases.
And, crucially, there’s a really good financier in the management support side
I was handling it enough by myself.
Because of that foundation, I was able to focus on the business.

Q. How does your previous experience help you in your current business role?

You know, looking at the numbers, the sense of cost processing, the ability to write documents
I came directly from my management support experience.
But what’s bigger than that is the eyes where you can see the overall flow of the company.
If you go to big companies and experience foreign companies
Regardless of the type of business, you will know the structure of the company.

Actually, my first career was in sales.
I was obliged to manage the sales of the department store for two years,
It was about managing stores, scheduling promotions, and managing employees.

So I’ve done sales, I’ve managed enough,
I think all these parts have melted into the government’s business now.
I think I was able to know the overall structure through rotational work.

In the next episode, the on-site story of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s drone delivery demonstration project, episodes experienced across the country, the process of mandatory inspection pads,
And to the vision of 10 years from now — the story of Ahn Won-ki’s scene continues.