[2026 Alternative Investment Forum] "A Complete Corporate Overhaul Is Needed for Successful AX"

Sangmin Lee, Partner of Deal Advisory at Samil PwC

"Companies Must Consider Data, Organization, and Governance"

Sangmin Lee, Partner in the Deal Department at Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, emphasized that in order for companies to succeed in artificial intelligence transformation (AX), they must restructure all aspects of their business, including data, organization, and processes.

Sangmin Lee, partner at Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, is attending the 4th Asia Business Daily Alternative Investment Forum held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 29th, delivering a lecture on the topic "How AI is Changing Corporate Revenue Models and Value." September 29, 2026. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

At the 4th Asia Business Daily Alternative Investment Forum held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th, Lee, who led a session on the theme "How AI Changes Corporate Revenue Models and Values," stated, "After implementing AI, companies must carefully consider how to actually secure data, how to change the way people work, how to establish the organizational and governance structures, and how to separate and operate the work of AI versus that of people."

He cited Innio, acquired by private equity fund Advent International, as a successful example. After Advent acquired Innio in 2018, it applied AI both to the service platform 'myPlant' and throughout company operations. Through this successful AX, it increased the company's multiple from the previous 12 times to 40 times.

One of the points Lee especially emphasized was Innio's data collection system. After Advent's acquisition, Innio built connections not only with direct sales channels but also with indirect sales channel customers. By securing data collection rights from foreign partners through contracts, the company was able to comprehensively collect data not only for its main business of gas engines but also for diesel, hydrogen, solar engines, and more. He said, "The first step toward AX is to collect large amounts of data," adding, "If you gather twice as much data, you can generate value at the level of two squared; if you collect ten times more, you could reach two to the tenth power in value."

In terms of field management, Innio established a work system that links monitoring and maintenance planning in real time, enabling operations without time delays, all based on data. Lee explained, "Regarding field management, the company created a headquarters-level organization called the Portfolio Support Group, which manages mechanics scattered throughout Europe on a one-to-one basis to provide standardized services. They were given key performance indicators (KPIs) so that the system actually functions in practice."

Finally, Lee stressed that in order for a business model transformation to lead to a successful exit, it is necessary to set forward-looking goals by anticipating the timing of the sale. He said, "When a private equity firm is planning a buyout five or seven years down the line, it must decide which business group the company will be placed under for evaluation," and added, "It is important to set KPIs early and revise or develop annual plans accordingly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.