Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. (Hyundai Motor Company)
Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. (Hyundai Motor Company)

Hyundai Motor Company plans to appoint software and semiconductor experts to its board of directors next month, signaling a stronger focus on digital technology.

The nation's leading carmaker announced Thursday that it will hold a general meeting of shareholders on March 20 to approve five board members.

Among the candidates are Jin Eun-sook, head of Hyundai Motor’s Information and Communications Technology division, and Jim Doh, a former vice chair of Qualcomm Asia.

Jin, a Hyundai executive vice president, has been nominated as an internal director, alongside Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, who is set to extend his term. If approved, Jin will become the company’s first-ever female internal director.

Before joining Hyundai in 2021, Jin served as chief technology officer at NHN, a leading Korean tech company. With expertise in data, cloud computing and IT service platform development, she has spearheaded Hyundai’s push into software-defined mobility solutions.

“At a time when the board’s ability to make technology decisions is becoming increasingly important, Jin will help drive development-oriented strategies with her deep and precise understanding of Hyundai Motor’s technology advancements,” the company stated.

Doh, an outside director nominee, is a Qualcomm veteran who worked at the US chip giant for 20 years. He oversaw the company's Asian business between 2014 and 2017. After that, he served in executive and advisory roles at energy, defense and AI companies.

Hyundai Motor is also adding financial specialists to its outside director positions.

Kim Suyi, former global head of private equity at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Benjamin Tan, former portfolio manager at the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, have been nominated. Their expertise is expected to enhance Hyundai’s financial strategy and global investment outlook.

The upcoming general meeting will address several additional agenda items.

One key proposal is whether to include "hydrogen business and hydrogen-related business" in the company’s corporate purpose, enabling expansion into the energy sector.

Another agenda item involves revising the quarterly dividend policy to allow shareholders to make investment decisions with full knowledge of the exact dividend amount they will receive.


forestjs@heraldcorp.com