Samsung Electronics Co. has named former L’Oreal executive Lee Ji-sun as vice president of marketing for the IT & Mobile division.

Lee, 46, will be in charge of marketing Samsung smartphones in North America, one of the company’s most important and competitive markets where it is locked in a tight battle with Apple in the premium segment.

Apple’s new iPhone X gained attention this year by inviting not just tech pundits but also up-and-coming YouTubers and influential celebrities to give early reviews. This included YouTube channels such as Highsnobiety and Booredatwork.com as well as actress-comedian Mindy Kaling and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Samsung’s recruitment of Lee and other female marketers with experience in consumer goods comes at a time when the company is trying to shift its marketing strategy to engage directly with consumers through social media.

Lee is experienced in marketing dozens of beauty products a year targeting a variety of consumers through a number of channels, an experience that Samsung wants to incorporate to market its smartphones.

Lee would be the 51st female executive at Samsung Electronics. The Korean tech giant has been rapidly filling up key marketing positions with female workers in recent years.

The most powerful female executive at the company is currently Lee Young-hee, who also worked for L’Oreal before joining Samsung in 2007. In 2012, she was promoted to executive vice president of marketing for the IT & Mobile division.

Han Seung-hee, vice president of marketing in Samsung’s visual display division, worked for Coca-Cola at its headquarters in Atlanta.

The company is reportedly trying to recruit more female outside directors after hedge fund Elliott Management pointed out last year the lack of gender diversity on its board.

By Lee Dong-in and Kim Hyo-jin

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