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[K-Healthcare Goes Global] InBody’s global leaders propel body composition analyzer’s worldwide growth
2025-01-15 18:09:11.000
In July 2016, Cha In-joon landed in Mumbai, India, fueled by determination and a vision for the future.
Tasked with launching an Indian subsidiary of InBody, a body composition analyzer maker, alongside his colleague, Dawson Kim, Cha believed they were on the verge of a quick market entry. Instead, they found themselves thrust into chaos in India’s chaotic business environment.
Shipments and meetings that were supposed to happen didn’t arrive on time—sometimes not at all. First hires proved problematic. The logistics partner they initially trusted turned out to be a dead end.
“It was like we were in survival mode,” recalled Cha, now CEO of InBody India and director of InBody’s Korean headquarters, in an interview with Korea Biomedical Review last Thursday.
- “InBody’s philosophy is to throw people into the deep end,” Cha In-joon, CEO of InBody India and director of InBody, told Korea Biomedical Review in an interview last Thursday at InBody’s headquarters in Seoul. (Credit: InBody)
Cha and Kim went through several rounds of hiring to find the right people to overcome bureaucracy and cultural hurdles. It took five attempts to find the right person for the role, he said.
But Cha refused to buckle under pressure. “If you keep trying, it will work out,” he said. Despite delays of up to 40 days or more and informal payments to facillitate customs processes, he pressed on.
Yet it wasn’t just about logistics—it was the need to immerse himself in a completely foreign culture. Adapting to a work style and pace different from what he was accustomed to wasn’t easy. “It took six years to build a team I could rely on,” Cha said. Six years spent cultivating relationships, overcoming miscommunications, and, above all, earning trust.
But when InBody launched the InBody Academy in India, introducing body composition analysis to the healthcare sector, everything began to change. Overcoming resistance—especially to the high cost of the technology—took years of persistence. The duo knocked on doors and spoke to anyone who would listen. Slowly, hospitals like Apollo and Max came on board. “It felt like a dream,” Cha said.
Beyond the professional triumphs, Cha’s journey was marked by personal connections. "I formed deep connections with my Indian colleagues, admiring their drive for personal and professional growth."
Today, Cha is recognized at InBody for laying the foundation of the company’s Global Business Developer (GBD) program, launched in April. The program trains employees to understand local markets and cultures, design tailored strategies, and lead efforts in countries where body composition analysis is not yet established. “InBody’s philosophy is to throw people into the deep end,” Cha said.
Under Cha’s leadership, InBody India's medical market sales grew by more than 100 percent in the first half of this year compared to the previous year. “It’s about people,” Cha said. “When you find the right people, with the right spirit, they’re unstoppable.”
Since initiating its global expansion in 2000, InBody now operates in over 110 countries, with nearly 80 percent of its revenue coming from exports. But the story of InBody’s global expansion goes beyond Cha’s success in India.
Korea Biomedical Review also spoke with Dawson Kim, CEO of InBody Mexico, and Jade Kim, CEO of InBody Oceania, who, along with Cha, are among the 13 global subsidiary CEOs.
Like Cha, they represent the next generation of leaders in the company’s GBD program.
Dawson Kim, CEO of InBody Mexico
The biggest challenge was overcoming resistance to InBody’s high-priced technology. “InBody devices aren’t for everyone,” he said, acknowledging the specific markets the products were designed for. “They’re designed for particular fields. That’s where we need to make an impact.”
Mexico, with the second highest obesity rate among OECD countries, presented another challenge. “Mexico faces significant obesity challenges, and there is an opportunity to raise awareness about proactive health management,” Kim noted.
Kim turned to nutritionists as a solution. They were ubiquitous in hospitals, schools, and government agencies—a vast, untapped market. But convincing nutritionists to adopt InBody’s technology wasn’t easy. Many relied on traditional methods, requiring careful introduction of high-tech solutions to gain acceptance. Kim, however, saw an opportunity to educate, to show them how InBody’s data-driven approach could revolutionize health.
Kim’s restructuring of the sales team, focusing on targeted markets, paid off. In just one year, he doubled the size of the team, expanding it to 50 members. “We’re not just selling a product,” Kim said. “We’re selling a new way of thinking about health. Our focus has always been on showing people the importance of prevention.”
He also launched the InBody Academy in Mexico, just as he had done with Cha in India. It quickly became a beacon of credibility in a skeptical market. Doctors, nutritionists, and gym owners were drawn to the technology, leading to partnerships with institutions like Salud Digna—a health screening center providing affordable diagnostics to low-income Mexicans—and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Kim’s belief in the technology was unwavering, and it was contagious. He knew that once potential clients saw the results of InBody’s devices, they’d never look back. “It’s hard to go back once you’ve experienced something better,” he said.
But Kim wasn’t content with just this success. “We’re only at 1 percent of what we can achieve,” he said, with a vision of making InBody as commonplace in Mexico as it is in Korea, where the term “InBody test” is as familiar as a blood pressure check. He estimates that in 15 years, Mexico will mirror Korea’s market penetration—built on trust, recognition, and adoption.
By 2025, Kim aims for the subsidiary to achieve annual revenue of 10 billion won ($7.7 million). “We’ll be the fastest to reach that goal among all our subsidiaries,” he said.
Jade Kim, CEO of InBody Oceania
“Australian healthcare professionals were skeptical of new technologies,” Kim said. “But once they understood body composition analysis, they saw the value.”
By June 2023, InBody launched its Oceania subsidiary, with Kim, then 27, taking on the role of CEO. Starting with just two employees, she personally selected her team, which quickly grew to nine. Kim described the early days as a “startup atmosphere,” where everyone juggled multiple roles, from sales and logistics to accounting and exhibitions.
“It wasn’t just about sales—it was about education, showing the healthcare professionals the edge InBody could give them in measuring body composition,” she said.
Convincing them to move beyond BMI and DEXA was no small feat. These metrics were deeply ingrained in the medical and fitness communities. But Kim’s team focused on demonstrating the precision and versatility of InBody’s body composition technology, which provided more accurate measurements without relying on ethnicity-based estimations.
The fitness market in Oceania was evolving, and Kim saw opportunities in boutique wellness centers, recovery studios, and gyms. But her sights weren’t limited to fitness; she aimed to expand InBody’s reach into medical markets as well. “We’re introducing the Fall Risk Assessment system in 2025,” Kim said, highlighting plans to tap into healthcare and geriatric care sectors.
Reflecting on her journey, Kim acknowledged the challenges of the early days. “I often questioned myself—whether I could handle the responsibilities,” she said. “But I learned to ask questions, seek guidance, and find my way.”
KBR(https://www.koreabiomed.com)
