How a semester abroad turned into an 11-year journey as a design leader in Korea
We sat down with Maxence Mauduit, a French Product Designer and Chief Design Officer at Buzzvil in Seoul, to talk about his journey from France to Korea, his experience working in Korean tech, and why global talent should seriously consider building a career here.
Profile snapshot
- Name: Maxence Mauduit
- Nationality: French
- Current role & company: Product Designer and Chief Design Officer at Buzzvil
- Years in Korea: 11
- Visa status: F-6-1
- Languages spoken: French, English, conversational Korean
- Previous countries worked in (if any): France
Background & career
Q. Can you briefly introduce yourself and your current role?
I’m an experienced Product Designer and currently serve as CDO at Buzzvil, a leading Korean AdTech company. If you use Korean apps, chances are you’ve interacted with our products without realizing it. That’s the magic, and sometimes the frustration, of working in B2B2C. As an individual contributor, my core strength is interaction design. As a leader, my goal is to amplify each team member’s impact, unlocking both personal fulfillment and collective performance.
As CDO, I ensure design acts as a connective tissue between business goals and product excellence, delivering systemic solutions that drive both operational efficiency and an outstanding customer experience.
Q. What inspired you to work in Korea?
During my studies, I spent a semester abroad at Hongik University in Seoul. Those six months had a huge impact on me. I discovered a culture and environment where I felt I could grow more than back home. After graduating, I tried to start my career in Korea but eventually failed, which ultimately pushed me to build my career in Paris first.
Q. What was your career path before moving to Korea?
I studied Interaction Design in France and completed a research master’s in Virtual Innovation at ENSAM. After graduating, I spent over three years in an R&D team in Paris, working on a real-time educational platform for professionals. Once we secured our first major client, I decided it was time to leave, saved enough to sustain myself, and moved to Korea to look for opportunities. I attended a workshop at KAIST and eventually landed my first, and current, job in Seoul.
Experience working in Korea
Q. Tell us briefly about your company (size, industry focus, notable achievements).
Buzzvil has around 130 employees today. I joined in 2014 as one of the early members when the team was about 20 people. Over the years, the business pivoted several times, from a rewarded lockscreen app to a lockscreen SDK, and eventually into a full growth solution for app publishers. The mission has always been the same: rethinking how people interact with ads.
In 2024, Buzzvil recorded ₩101.2B in revenue and ₩4.4B in profit, working with partners like KakaoBank, KakaoPay, SSG, Olive Young, LG, and Samsung.
Q. How did you find your current job? Was the hiring process challenging as a foreigner?
I moved to Korea with a six-month deadline. If I didn’t find a job, I planned to return to France. After several rejections, I applied for a Lead Designer role at Buzzvil through LinkedIn, just two weeks before my flight back.
The hiring process was smooth and fast. Two interview rounds, one focused on role and problem-solving, the other on culture fit. Everything was conducted in English, and the company already had international employees. Buzzvil sponsored my E-7 visa at the time, which took about two months. The process is much faster now.
Q. Can you describe your typical workday?
We have flexible hours. With two young kids, I usually start around 8:30 a.m. after dropping them off and finish by 5:30 p.m. Mornings are my focus time, where most of my individual work gets done. My afternoons are reserved for meetings, leadership, and operational strategy.
Q. How does the Korean work culture compare to your home country's?
Buzzvil was initially very Western, almost Silicon Valley–like. After COVID, the culture shifted as many global employees returned home. Still, overtime is avoidable, and autonomy is high.
Work in Korea tends to be more intense and metrics-driven. This is great for performance but makes it harder to prioritize initiatives where quality is harder to measure. French work culture, in contrast, allows more room for intuition and debate. As a design leader, I still feel conflicted about this balance.
Q. Do you speak Korean at work? How is communication handled in your team?
I mainly work in English. I’ve studied Korean for a couple of years after work, but I’m not comfortable leading meetings in it yet. As the company has become more Korean-speaking, this has become more challenging. Recently, AI-based translation tools and live transcription have helped significantly.
Q. What challenges have you faced adapting to Korea's work environment?
Living and traveling in Korea are very different experiences. Early on, I went through a difficult period where everything I loved about Korea became stressful. I was homesick and overwhelmed. Things improved after about a year, especially after meeting my wife. Adjusting to a new country, language, and leadership role all at once takes time.
Lifestyle & community
Q. What's your life outside of work like? How have you built your social life here?
In the early startup days, Buzzvil was my social life. We worked, traveled, and played together. As the company grew and moved toward an IPO, that naturally changed. Around the same time, we had our first child, and my life shifted toward family.
Q. How much has knowing Korean (or learning it) helped in your daily life?
Basic Korean is essential for daily life. Reading signs, ordering food, and handling errands. I focused too much on professional growth early on and regretted not investing more time in Korean sooner. I strongly recommend learning the language as early as possible, ideally before starting full-time work.
Q. What was your biggest culture shock when you first arrived?
In France, empty time is valued. In Seoul, everything is fast, dense, and always available. You can work, shop, and exercise anytime. It’s exciting, but it takes time to adjust when you settle long-term.
Reflections & advice
Q. Do you plan to stay longer in Korea, and how do you see your career evolving here?
We love it here and still feel like we’re on an adventure, even after 11 years. With two kids, we’re also aware of the challenges, especially how competitive life in Seoul can be. Buzzvil is preparing for IPO, and after years as a C-level executive, I’ve seen rapid career growth that would’ve been harder in Europe. I’m considering several future paths, but haven’t committed to one yet.
Q. What tips would you give to someone searching for a tech job in Korea?
- Be on-site. Remote applications work mainly for large companies.
- Company culture matters as much as the role. Many people leave quickly because they underestimate this.
Q. What can Korean companies do to better support and integrate international employees?
- Offer Korean language support.
- Implement buddy programs. Buzzvil has done this consistently, and it makes a real difference.
Q. What's one thing you wish you knew before moving here?
Housing prices only go up. I should have bought earlier. 🥲
Q. Would you recommend Korea to other international tech professionals, and why?
Absolutely. Seoul offers a dynamic, demanding environment. It’s not easy, but if you’re looking for growth, challenge, and constant change, it’s a place that keeps pushing you forward.
Rapid fire
- Favorite Korean food: It’s cold these days, Kimchi jjigae, hot and meaty
- One must-visit place in Korea: Oeam Folk Village near Asan, stay overnight for the sunrise
- Most surprising thing about Korean tech culture (answers below are general sentiment, not Buzzvil specific!):
- Modern products paired with a traditional hierarchy
- Meetings often confirm decisions rather than debate
- Speed is prioritized, sometimes at the cost of clarity and alignment
- Favorite Korean word or phrase: 파도, it means waves. We named our first kid 파도 after spending a week near YangYang (양양). Probably the Korean word I say the most (while running after him!).
Connect with Maxence
- LinkedIn: /in/mmaxence
- Website: mmaxence.me
If you want to be next and contribute, send us an email at florian@dev-korea.com.
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