SK Telecom chief executive Kim Shin-bae, who joined the carrier in 1995, has proved himself in many conflicts as he took the company's top job against a slew of SK lifers. But a more interesting story began after he took the reins of SK Telecom last March as he catapulted the company into the ranks of Korea's most profitable firms. However, the 51-year-old is not resting on his laurels and continues to intently search for new cash cows to lead the company into the future. "These successes in the past bring us great pride, but they do not ensure success in the future. Today, SK Telecom is fully prepared to take a leading role in the new ubiquitous and convergence era," he said. The visionary CEO has handpicked global business as one of the three major pillars to lead the firm into the future, the other two being a new growth engine and the telecombroadcasting convergence business. "From our strong foothold at home, we have branched out into the global market. This includes areas such as Vietnam, China and a host of other countries," he noted. The next target is the United States, where SK Telecom seeks to start the mobile telephony business early next year under a business alliance with a local broadband operator, Earthlink. Kim says the core competency of the firm accumulated over the past 20 years will be the cornerstone for success in the international arena. "Keeping the difficulties and efforts of the past in mind, we will write a new chapter in global mobile communications, with a sprit of challenge, passion and creativity," Kim said. Under the stewardship of Kim, SK Telecom also started providing short messaging services to overseas Korean travelers in cases of an emergency in May. This effort was recognized in a big way last week as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade presented a plaque to Kim to recognize his services.