MCM chief gets honorary doctorate in London

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jul 27, 2017

Sung-Joo Kim, the owner of German luxury brand MCM, will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts London for her achievements as both a businesswoman and humanitarian, announced the accessories label on Thursday.

Kim is part of a group of 12 leading figures who will be given honorary awards by UAL this year, including superstar set designer Es Devlin, Tate Modern director Frances Morris and global game figurehead Rhianna Pratchett.

They will be recognised for their outstanding contributions to the creative industries at UAL’s graduation ceremonies at the Royal Festival Hall this week.

Sung-Joo Kim purchased MCM in 2005 and now serves as its chief visionary officer, otherwise known as chairman. Under her leadership, MCM has experienced consistent year-over- year growth, and was ranked one of the world’s top 10 fastest-growing brands by Deloitte in 2016. Her approach has also revitalised the company with new digital initiatives, drawing Millennial consumers through all touchpoints.

Kim has been also hailed for her responsible, sustainable, and ethical business practices. She spent the past three years serving as the president of Korean Red Cross, a role she occupied with transformative energy, saving thousands of lives around the world.

In 2015, she was awarded an OBE by HRH Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea, and her organisation the Sungjoo Group – which launched premium fashion brands in Korea such as Gucci, Sonia Rikyel, and YSL – donates 10% of all net profit back into society.