LINE appoints Jungho Shin as co-CEO

Japanese telecommunications company LINE has announced the appointment of Jungho Shin as the company’s co-CEO, taking effect April 1. Shin, the company’s founder, is currently serving as the company’s chief WOW officer (a role he took in February) and will continue to serve in addition to his new title. LINE will now have two representative directors: Shin and Takeshi Idezawa, the current CEO and company president. Shin’s leadership appointment is reflective of his high standing within his company, including his history behind the globally popular LINE messaging app, as well as spearheading the company's growth internationally. While Idezawa will focus his duties on the business of management, revenue, organizational structure, human resources, and recruitment, Shin will be heading up company services and operations. The goal is to have swift decision-making while also having a steady hand on the tiller. This management shakeup comes in a year where LINE has launched its "second growth phase" with strides into FinTech, AI, and blockchain technology.