Driving People-Centered Organizational Culture Innovation… Recognized for Spreading Coaching Culture to Manufacturing Sites

Nepes received the 2025 Excellence Award for Coaching Culture Expansion at the 22nd Korea Coaching Festival, held on October 31 at COEX in Seoul. This award, presented annually by the Korea Coach Association, honors organizations that contribute to the spread of coaching-based organizational culture. Nepes was highly evaluated for practicing coaching leadership based on its people-centered management philosophy and the GRACE model.

As a mid-sized company located in Cheongju, Chungbuk, Nepes has drawn attention for its strong execution in spreading coaching culture within the industry through field-oriented training programs. Since December 2024, more than 10% of all employees have participated in on-site coaching education, with 130 employees completing the program so far and over 160 expected by year-end. Among them, 19 have earned KAC certification and 2 hold KPC credentials, demonstrating a commitment to embedding coaching leadership beyond simple training through official certification.

Additionally, Nepes collaborates with professional coaches to run the “Coach the Coach” program, fostering a self-sustaining coaching ecosystem in regional industrial sites. Between 2024 and 2025, a total of 60 participants engaged in the program, working with 22 professional coaches to conduct over 200 coaching sessions—creating a culture where coaching is practiced in everyday work.

Nepes’ organizational culture is built on the GRACE model (Growth, Respect, Assistance, Conditions, Empathy), with a particular focus on Empathy. The company supports all members of its Empathy organization in obtaining KAC certification, enabling psychological safety and deep communication. These members are responsible for counseling, listening, and care, effectively implementing the company’s people-centered management philosophy.

The impact of this coaching culture is evident in measurable improvements in organizational engagement and leadership capability. For example, the “Communication” score rose from 4.41 in 2023 to 4.75 in 2024, “Supervisor Leadership” improved from 5.31 to 5.56, and “Coaching Feedback” continues to show steady progress.

The event featured a keynote speech by Professor Dae-Shik Kim of KAIST and a special lecture by Dr. Carlos Davidovich from Harvard Medical School’s affiliated Coaching Institute, along with case studies in education, HR, youth, and life coaching. Nepes demonstrated its philosophy of prioritizing human growth and connection even in technology-driven industries, presenting a sustainable organizational growth model through coaching.

Nepes’ award representative, Lee Sang-ho, Head of Management Support, stated:

“Even in the AI era, a people-centered organizational culture is the core of competitiveness. This award is a recognition of Nepes’ philosophy of respecting people.”

Meanwhile, this year’s Excellence Award for Coaching Culture Expansion was granted to 21 organizations, including Nepes, HD Hyundai Group, KT Cloud, KakaoBank, and Hanwha Aerospace.

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