Kim Hag-dong

Kim Hag-dong leads POSCO Future M (formerly POSCO Chemical) as CEO, overseeing the battery materials subsidiary of South Korea's POSCO Holdings. POSCO Future M produces the critical raw materials that go into electric vehicle batteries: cathode materials (nickel-cobalt-aluminium/NCA and nickel-cobalt-manganese/NCM formulations) and anode materials (natural and synthetic graphite). The company supplies major Korean battery manufacturers including LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On. POSCO Future M is strategically positioned in the EV battery supply chain: the company benefits from POSCO Holdings' involvement in lithium and nickel mining/refining (providing vertical integration advantages), while its customer relationships with Korean battery giants provide demand visibility. The company is investing heavily in expanding cathode and anode production capacity in South Korea, Canada, and other locations to meet growing EV battery demand. The battery materials market has experienced significant volatility, as lithium and nickel prices have fluctuated wildly and EV adoption growth has moderated from the peak pace of 2021-2022. Key stock drivers include cathode and anode material demand from battery manufacturers, lithium and nickel prices (which affect input costs and customer sentiment), EV sales volume growth, production capacity expansion execution, POSCO Group's lithium and nickel vertical integration, competition with Umicore, BASF, and Chinese cathode producers, and the overall pace of the global EV transition.