She transformed German-based Stiefel Laboratories, Inc., a newcomer to the skin-care business, into one of Korea’s largest providers of dermatological products.

Kwon Sun Jue, 58, says she nabbed the job of head of Stiefel Korea 18 years ago by introducing herself as a housewife without any relevant experience. The interviewers laughed, but the mother of two argued that running a household provides good management training. It worked. She trumped the competition.

Kwon began a five-day workweek system in 1994 — at a time when a six-day workweek was enforced by most Korean companies — and offered breakfast to employees who had long commutes. At 5:30 p.m. every day, all employees were strongly encouraged, sometimes forced, to go home and spend time with their families.

“People devote around 30 years of their lives to work,” Kwon says. “So shouldn’t their companies take care of them?”

Stiefel Korea’s average annual growth rate is more than 20 percent, and employee productivity is reported to be at the top of its industry. Among Stiefel’s 100 subsidiaries, the Korean unit ranks sixth in terms of revenue.

“My last dream is to make a small contribution toward advancing Korea’s child care system, so that millions of female workers do not have to give up their careers to take care of their babies,” she says.