HMNA Announces Senior Leadership Appointments

Hyundai Motor North America (HMNA) announced promotions and responsibility changes to leaders of the HMNA executive team. The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2024.

“I’m very proud of the leadership team at Hyundai Motor North America without whom our stellar results this year would not be possible,” said José Muñoz, president and global COO, Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America. “I'm also proud to empower these leaders with greater responsibility in elevated roles as Hyundai’s business continues to grow and our vehicles continue to evolve. These executives bring exceptional leadership skills and a wealth of experience to these roles. I know their continued success will help Hyundai win in 2024 and beyond.”

HMNA Executive Team Undergoes Changes in New Year

As part of the changes, Olabisi Boyle has been promoted to senior vice president, product planning and mobility strategy for HMNA. In this role, Boyle will continue to oversee the strategic direction of Hyundai’s U.S. vehicle lineup and lead long-range planning, market research, business analytics, and advanced pricing.

She will also lead Hyundai’s U.S. mobility strategy, connected car technology, and future innovations. She was previously vice president of product planning and mobility strategy for HMNA and has been with Hyundai since 2020.

Jason Erb is promoted to senior vice president, chief legal and compliance officer for HMNA.

In this role, Erb will continue to be responsible for all legal matters across the region. This includes product liability, safety and warranty, intellectual property, risk management, cyber security, dealer franchise, and human resources, among other responsibilities. He was previously vice president and chief legal officer for HMNA and has been with Hyundai for over 20 years.

Carlos Servin is expanding his responsibilities and is now the senior vice president, global profit optimization and global manufacturing office for the Hyundai Motor Company COO Office.

Servin has been senior vice president, global profit optimization since September 2022. He joined the organization in 2021 to support financial functions optimizing cost. His background includes experience in finance and cost optimization with other automotive companies.

Cole Stutz has been promoted to chief safety officer and vice president of the Hyundai North America Safety Office.

In this role, Stutz will lead and oversee all safety endeavors, including management and compliance with safety regulations for North America. He was previously executive director for vehicle safety investigations and has been with Hyundai since 2015.

Chris Susock is promoted to president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA). He was previously COO and senior vice president at HMMA since September 2022. He joined HMMA in 2004 to lead the facilitation, organizational, and manufacturing process development for the plant's startup in early 2005.

Additionally, Euisung (Ernie) Kim is promoted to executive vice president and head of quality division, Hyundai Motor Group. Kim served as HMMA’s president and CEO since January 2021. In July of 2023, Kim was also appointed to serve as the global manufacturing officer supporting the Global COO office, expanding his management responsibility to include automotive production in Europe, India, and Brazil.

HMNA Reveals More Leadership Changes

Other promotions include June Lim, executive coordinator for marketing and communications at HMNA, Sungil Kim promoted to vice president, head of purchasing at HMMA and at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Daniel Park is promoted to chief administrative officer.

Finally, Hyundai Motor America realigned responsibilities in the national sales organization.

Bob Kim will take on the new role of vice president, east sales and oversee and lead the Central, Southern, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern regions.

Michael Orange has been appointed vice president, west sales and vehicle operations. Orange will oversee and lead the Western, Mountain, and South Central regions, along with fleet distribution.

Both Kim and Orange will report to Randy Parker, CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Hyundai Had More to Say in 2023

Among the announcements Hyundai Motor America made in 2023, it revealed equipment details for the all-new 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV.

The 2023 Kona Electric was named EV of the Year in the 2024 Hispanic Motor Press Awards (HMPA). The recognition marked two consecutive years for the Kona which offers customers electric and internal combustion powertrains, including a sporty N Line version.

In August, Hyundai launched the enhanced 2024 Sonata midsize sedan during a YouTube news conference. Muñoz discussed why consumers are showing renewed interest in sedans.

Outside of vehicle announcements, Hyundai teamed up with Kia Corporation to unveil the Universal Wheel Drive System — called ‘Uni Wheel’. Uni Wheel is a functionally integrated wheel drive system that improves available space inside an electric vehicle (EV) by moving the main drive system components to the vacant space within the wheel hub. In doing so, Hyundai Motor and Kia have designed a new structure for the drive system.