Hyundai promotes 203 executives with focus on research
Lee Sang-yup, Hyundai Motor's new executive vice president in charge of design
Choo Kyo-woong, Hyundai's new executive vice president in charge of electronics and infotainment development
Hyundai Motor Group replaced its top executives responsible for design and research & development (R&D) as part of a large-scale reshuffle announced Friday, undertaking a generational change in management under the new leadership of Chairman Euisun Chung.
Peter Schreyer, a renowned former Audi designer who has led Hyundai Motor's design management since 2013, is stepping down and will serve as an adviser to the automobile company.
Lee Sang-yup, head of Hyundai's Global Design Center, was promoted to executive vice president and will take over Schreyer's post.
Albert Biermann, the head of Hyundai's R&D division, will be replaced by Park Chung-kook, president and head of the hydrogen fuel cell division at Hyundai, the company said. Biermann will continue to serve as a technical adviser.
Joining the automaker's high-end Genesis brand as new chief brand officer is Graeme Russell, known for his long stint in luxury car marketing for Bentley Motors and as brand ambassador for the Macallan distillery. Russell will lead Genesis' global brand, product and retail communications.
Hyundai also promoted 203 employees to senior executives, the largest number ever according to the company, which marks a generational change after Chairman Chung, who succeeded his father Chung Mong-koo in October last year, took the helm of the country's No. 2 conglomerate.
The latest reshuffle signals that Euisun Chung, 50, will further push his ambitious drive for future mobility, such as hydrogen-powered cars, self-driving cars, infotainment and other advanced information and communications technologies, to boost the automaker's competitiveness.
Choo Kyo-woong, head of the automaker's electronics and infotainment development, was named executive vice president in charge of the development of in-vehicle intelligent systems.
Kim Heung-soo, chief of the future growth planning and electric vehicle (EV) division, and Lim Tae-won, head of the advanced technologies and hydrogen and fuel cell department, were among those elevated to executive vice president positions.
The company also hired Jin Eun-sook, former chief technology officer at NHN, as the new executive vice president and head of the ICT innovation division.
About a third of the newly promoted executives are in their 40s, with about 37 percent of the R&D staff earning promotions, according to Hyundai.
BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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