Son-U (Michael) Paik – Get to know our VAB member
It is our pleasure to introduce you to our member Son-U Paik who joins VAB from South Korea. He is the founder and CEO of GRC Solutions Korea. With over 25 years of experience as an attorney and consultant, Michael specialises in working with clients to design and build AI-assisted systems for governance, risk management and compliance (GRC), as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. He has worked with some of Asia's most prominent companies, as well as European and US clients, in risk management, venture capital, public offering, merger and energy transactions. Michael has served in senior executive positions and he has designed and managed, from scratch, the legal, compliance, trade and risk management systems for three different conglomerates. He holds a JD from Columbia Law School and has an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Feel free to reach out to Son-U (Michael) to learn more about his plans for his continuing board journey and for general networking.
What inspired you to become a member of the Virtual Advisory Board community?
I was drawn to VAB because of the global reach of its membership base and the unique networking opportunities it offers.
In what area do you feel board advisors can add the most value for Boards of Directors (BoDs) and executive teams?
Board advisors can provide independent counsel on a variety of issues if they are experienced in those matters. That independence and experience can be a powerful combination that challenges what can often be an echo chamber of similar views and groupthink: even within the best organisations. I think that the fact that an independent advisor has been engaged indicates that an organisation has taken to first step towards building better processes so that value can be created, together.
What would be your dream company/organisation to work with as a board advisor/NED?
I would like to advise international companies that are looking to navigate their way towards achieving their objectives in Asia, and vice versa. I am especially interested in advisory roles focussed on the areas of Governance, Risk Management and Compliance. I am an attorney with bar accreditation in New York and California and have a practice focus in the areas previously mentioned. I can also bring value to a company and its board thanks to my expertise as a GRC consultant and based on my experience in designing and building legal, compliance, trade and risk management systems for conglomerates in the tire manufacturing, shipbuilding and steel industries.
What book or podcast would you recommend to VAB members that might improve their skills in corporate governance, board advisory or boosting board-to-executive team communications?
The materials at OCEG.org are very good. I recommend you start with the GRC Capability Model, which is a free download.
