Choi Soo-Yeon

Choi Soo-yeon took the helm of Naver, South Korea's dominant internet company, in 2022, becoming its youngest-ever CEO and second female chief. She's steering the company through an AI transformation: In 2025, the company posted record revenue of 12 trillion won ($8.2 billion), up 12.1%, though net profit slipped 5.8%. AI accounted for more than half of the growth in its advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2026. Its Korean-language AI model now powers AI Tab, its integrated agent, which reached 10 million users by mid-July. Now, Naver has a new backer: Chip giant Nvidia, which will soon purchase a 4.5% stake in the Korean company for $1 billion.