Scania CFO Do Young Kim and the unexpected choice of finance
29 APRIL 2025
With keen interest in international relations and human nature, Scania’s newest ExBoard addition Do Young Kim – or DY – as he’s known to most – shares the joy of making a balance sheet work and why finance is the function that connects the dots.
DY’s career started with a newspaper ad, and has led him to different continents, making his way through the automotive and transport industry. In his current role as Scania’s Chief Financial Officer, he is where he thrives the most: “The automotive- and transport business is unique in its breadth. We make long term strategic capital plans, and advance engineering, and production system, is a big part of our success. But foremost we need to stay close to our customers. We have the complete scope, and that’s what I really like.”
Common sense travels well
Born and raised in South Korea, DY had a strong interest in international relations growing up – but the cultural expectations in his surroundings were not in line with his interests. “I made a deal with my father, a compromise that I’d study business. But that what I wanted to do with my life after that, was my own choice.”
Although business studies were never his passion, it was a foundation that enabled him to explore the world. A newspaper ad looking for newly graduated made him apply for a marketing position in Hong Kong. “I was looking for real-life experiences, and a part of that was going abroad.” He had no luck in gaining the position, but the CFO of the company called him right away. He said: “I like you – want to try finance instead?”
What followed was a fast-track career in the automotive and transport sectors – in China, Germany, and the US. Across those roles, one lesson has remained constant: “Common sense works everywhere. But to make real impact, you need two things: confidence to drive changes, and humility to know what you don’t know.”
The joy of balancing the books
After many years in finance, DY’s enthusiasm hasn’t faded: “My happiest moments? Making a balance sheet balance. To make credit and debit match can be tricky. I don’t have much chance to do this anymore. But when you see it, you solve it, and it is so much fun.” He also confesses that there is no other place he’d rather be: “What I do, it really resonates with the nerdy part of me.”
He also sees finance as the function that connects the dots: “Humans are not rational. We are emotional. But in finance, we have the facts, the data, the foundation – and we see the strategy, the customer, the product. That is why finance gives you the full story, and this is the unique value we bring to our business partners.”
Scania’s transformation – and our future success
DY joins Scania at a crucial moment in our transformation journey. “Let’s be honest: when it comes to electrification and autonomy, no one is leading just yet. The question is, who can claim leadership in ten years? At Scania, our future success very much depends on how well we adapt – our products, systems, and ways of working.”
One thing that he has huge respect for at Scania, is the collective experience and knowledge that the organisation has built together. “It is a great asset which has been driving our success. And we can further enhance this by wholeheartedly embracing outside-in-perspective.” DY also highlights a thing Scania has that is unique, and that he believes is what will be what keeps us successful irrespective of the challenges ahead: “The culture and the people. We will always need great people that work towards one goal. This is an area we need to invest in, that we need to protect.”
Literature, and Lan Poe the cat
Working as a CFO is not a 9 to 5-job, so, outside of work, he needs to recharge. Being new to Stockholm has also turned out to be a hobby, and DY likes to explore: “There are so many nice littles shops and streets to discover.”
Another thing that takes up a lot of his time is reading - a lot. Political history, global relations, and above all, detective fiction “I like to explore human nature, and I read crime novels all the time. Gothic mysteries are my favourites.” It comes as no surprise that the cat of the house is named after Edgar Allan Poe, the writer who is said to have invented the detective fiction genre.
So, maybe it all comes together: the detective stories, the shifting global landscape, or the tricky balance sheet – DY looks for the bigger picture, the holistic view, but with great attention to the details that has it all make sense.
