Brian W. Song, Ph.D.
CEO · Hearing Healthcare Executive · Audiologist
Chief Executive Officer, Agate Co., Ltd.
Co-Chief Executive Officer, AK Hearing Co., Ltd.
Retail · Wholesale · M&A · Post-Merger Integration · Strategic Partnerships
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Brian W. Song is a Korea-based hearing healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience across the hearing care industry, spanning hearing aid manufacturing, clinical audiology, wholesale distribution, retail operations, and business management.
He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Agate Co., Ltd., which operates WAVE HEARING, a nationwide hearing care retail group with 15 company-owned hearing aid centers across Korea.
He also serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer of AK Hearing Co., Ltd., operating a wholesale business supported by a network of more than 200 hearing care partners nationwide.
Prior to becoming an entrepreneur and business executive, Song held multiple commercial and audiology leadership positions at Starkey Korea, including Sales Director, Sales Team Leader, Audiological Research Team Leader, Trainer, and Director of the Starkey Audiological Research Center.
Earlier in his career, he worked as the Korea Clinical Specialist for Cochlear, gaining direct experience in cochlear implant mapping, clinical support, hearing rehabilitation, and collaboration with medical professionals and hospitals.
His career is distinguished by broad experience across the hearing healthcare value chain:
Manufacturer → Clinical → Wholesale → Retail
Today, his primary focus is on developing scalable hearing healthcare businesses in Korea through retail expansion, M&A, post-merger integration, strategic partnerships, and new routes to market.
BUSINESS PLATFORM
WAVE HEARING
Nationwide Hearing Care Retail Network
WAVE HEARING operates a nationwide network of 15 company-owned hearing aid centers in major cities across Korea.
The business focuses on professional hearing aid consultation, fitting, hearing care services, customer relationship management, and long-term hearing rehabilitation. The retail network has expanded through a combination of greenfield openings and acquisitions of existing hearing care centers.Song oversees the overall business strategy, organizational development, retail operations, investment decisions, acquisitions, and integration of newly acquired centers.
AK HEARING
Hearing Aid Wholesale Business
AK Hearing operates a B2B hearing aid wholesale business with a nationwide network of 200+ hearing care partners.
The business connects global hearing aid manufacturers with independent hearing care professionals and retail centers throughout Korea.
Its activities include:
- Dealer and partner network development
- Key account management
- Product portfolio strategy
- Pricing and commercial programs
- Manufacturer partnerships
- Channel development
- Wholesale business operations
Through the combination of retail and wholesale experience, Song has developed a comprehensive understanding of the Korean hearing aid market from both the supplier and customer-facing perspectives.
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Built and expanded a nationwide company-owned hearing care retail network
- Experience in both greenfield retail expansion and hearing care center acquisitions
- Led the operational integration of acquired hearing care businesses
- Hands-on experience with Post-Merger Integration (PMI) involving people, customers, brands, product portfolios, operating standards, and commercial processes
- Developed and managed a 200+ hearing care partner wholesale network
- Extensive experience negotiating with global hearing aid manufacturers on product portfolios, purchasing terms, pricing, and commercial partnerships
- Experience across Manufacturing, Wholesale, and Retail
- Led recruitment, organizational development, performance management, and leadership development across a nationwide retail organization
- Evaluated new business opportunities and alternative Route-to-Market strategies
- Combines clinical audiology expertise with hands-on commercial and business management experience
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Agate Co., Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for the overall strategy and management of WAVE HEARING's hearing healthcare retail business. His responsibilities include retail network expansion, organizational leadership, business development, investment decisions, acquisitions, integration of acquired businesses, manufacturer relationships, and development of new growth opportunities. He has led the expansion of WAVE HEARING into a nationwide company-owned hearing care platform while developing standardized operating practices across multiple locations.
AK Hearing Co., Ltd.
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Co-leads a nationwide hearing aid wholesale platform serving more than 200 hearing care partners in Korea. His work includes dealer network development, key account strategy, product portfolio management, manufacturer partnerships, pricing strategy, and channel development.
Starkey Korea
Sales Director
Held multiple leadership positions across commercial operations, sales, audiology, training, and research.
Key Positions
- Sales Director
- Sales Team Leader
- Audiological Research Team Leader
- Director, Starkey Audiological Research Center (SARC)
- Starkey Korea Education & Training Trainer
- Starkey International Training Trainer
During his tenure at Starkey Korea, Song gained extensive experience in hearing aid manufacturer operations, dealer development, sales management, product education, and commercial strategy. He also participated in global business conferences and international training programs organized by Starkey.
Cochlear
Clinical Specialist — Korea
Served as Clinical Specialist for the Korean market, supporting cochlear implant mapping, clinical programs, hearing rehabilitation, and professional education.
He completed clinical training in Australia through Cochlear and leading cochlear implant institutions in Sydney, gaining international clinical experience and direct exposure to global hearing healthcare practices.
Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital
ENT Hearing Clinic
Performed clinical audiological evaluation and hearing-related services for patients with hearing loss.
Hallym University Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology
Participated in clinical and research activities in audiological assessment, hearing aids, and auditory rehabilitation.
FORMER BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Univox Korea (Divestment of the Korean business)
Hearing Accessibility Business
Built and operated the Korean business for Hearing Loop Systems, providing hearing accessibility solutions for public facilities and multi-use environments.
The business was subsequently divested, providing direct experience in business development, operation, and exit.
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
- Advisory Board Member, Starkey Korea
- Expert, National Competency Standards (NCS) Development and Improvement
- Executive Director / International Director, Korean Association of Audiologists
- Expert Committee Member for International Standards in Hearing Aid Fitting
- Director, Audiologist Qualification and Certification Organization
- Certified Professional Audiologist
- Advisory Council Member, Gerson Lehrman Group — Healthcare & Biomedical Council
- Audiologist Certification Examination Committee Member
- Peer Reviewer for academic publications in audiology and auditory rehabilitation
- Former Adjunct Lecturer in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology programs
EDUCATION
Hallym University Graduate School
Ph.D. in Audiology
Major: Audiology, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology
Doctoral Dissertation
Effects and Applications of Task Complexity on Auditory Working Memory
Hallym University Graduate School
M.S. in Audiology
Master's Thesis
Test-Retest Reliability of Uncomfortable Loudness Levels Using Instructional Conditions
GLOBAL EXPERIENCE
Song has participated in hearing healthcare conferences, manufacturer programs, clinical training, and industry events across the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Selected International Experience
- Demant Asia Hearing Healthcare Conference — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- GN Hearing Manufacturing Site — Xiamen, China
- Beltone APAC — Malaysia and Singapore
- Oticon Asia Pacific — Singapore
- Oticon Headquarters / Eriksholm Research Centre — Denmark
- Widex Headquarters — Denmark
- Interacoustics / Technical University of Denmark
- EUHA European Hearing Aid Congress — Germany
- Starkey Global Business Conference — United States
- Starkey International Trainer Meeting — United States
- Cochlear Headquarters and Clinical Training — Sydney, Australia
- Asia-Pacific Cochlear Implant Conferences — Hong Kong and Taiwan
ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
In addition to his commercial and management career, Song has remained active in professional education and academic activities in audiology and hearing healthcare.
His experience includes lectures and professional education programs for universities, audiology organizations, hearing aid manufacturers, hearing care professionals, and related institutions.
Areas of expertise include:
- Hearing aid fitting
- Audiological assessment
- Cochlear implants
- Auditory rehabilitation
- Hearing aid distribution and retail
- Hearing healthcare business management
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
Hearing Healthcare Executive with experience across Manufacturing · Clinical · Wholesale · Retail
Brian W. Song combines professional expertise in audiology with extensive hands-on experience in hearing healthcare business management. His current focus is on building scalable hearing healthcare platforms in Korea through retail expansion, M&A, post-merger integration, strategic partnerships, and innovative routes to market.
He is particularly interested in business models that bring together global hearing healthcare capabilities and strong local operating expertise to create sustainable long-term growth in the Korean market.
Brian W. Song, Ph.D.
Korea Hearing Healthcare Executive
WAVE HEARING | AK HEARING
For Strategic Partnerships, M&A & Business Inquiries
KakaoTalk ID: briansong18
Email: 08rose@hanmail.net
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianwsong
Facebook: facebook.com/brian.w.song
Mobile: +82 10-5215-7436