Big strategic decisions await Samsung’s Lee as momentum builds for his parole

With bated breath, management at Samsung Electronics is waiting to see if the conglomerate’s leader, Jay Y. Lee, will be released on parole this month.

Support for his parole, both political and amongst the public, has grown amid anxiety that key strategic decisions are not being made at the South Korean tech giant.

If he is released, Samsung would be able to move forward with major investment and M&A projects – decisions company sources say should only be made by Lee who has been unable to address them while he sits in jail convicted of bribery and embezzlement.