Korean auto giant promotes four executives to president, appoints Manfred Harrer as new R&D chief
Hyundai Motor Group promoted four executives to president Thursday, as South Korea’s biggest carmaker speeds up its transition to software-defined vehicles and secure future technologies amid global uncertainty.
In a year-end reshuffle, Hyundai Motor’s Manfred Harrer and Jung Jun-cheul, Kia’s Yoon Seung-kyu and Hyundai Steel’s Lee Bo-ryong were promoted to president, the group said.
This year’s executive appointments highlight Hyundai’s growing reliance on international talent and performance-based promotion, following 2024’s appointment of its first non-Korean CEO. With Harrer’s promotion, foreigners now lead Hyundai’s chief executive, R&D and design functions, a rare move among South Korean conglomerates.
Harrer, who joined the group in 2024 as executive vice president in charge of vehicle development, will now lead the company’s R&D division. In his new role, Harrer — a German national with executive experience at Apple, Porsche and BMW — will lead the group’s overall research strategy and work closely with software and other related divisions to accelerate development of software-defined vehicle technologies.
Hyundai said it will name a new successor to Song Chang-hyeon, the recently resigned former head of its Advanced Vehicle Platform division, in the near future.
Jung Jun-cheul, head of manufacturing, was promoted to president of the division as Hyundai seeks to strengthen its hardware manufacturing capabilities and speed up the transition to software-defined factories.
In his expanded role, Jung is expected to focus on building a software-focused manufacturing system and advancing future technologies, including robotics.
At Kia, Yoon, head of the carmaker’s North America headquarters, was promoted to president in recognition of his role in strengthening the company’s market leadership in the region, posting more than 8 percent growth in retail sales from a year earlier, the group said.
Hyundai Motor Group also named new chief executives at key affiliates. Lee Bo-ryong, head of production at Hyundai Steel, was promoted to president and appointed CEO.
Current Hyundai Steel President Seo Gang-hyun, who has led the company since 2003, will move to a group-level role overseeing planning and coordination to drive business optimization across affiliates.
Chung Chang-hyun, chief executive of Hyundai Card, and Jun Si-woo, CEO of Hyundai Commercial, were both promoted to vice president.
Jang Jae-hoon, vice chair of Hyundai Motor Group, will continue to serve his post in charge of group affairs and oversee the conglomerate’s efforts to secure future growth engines, including mobility, hydrogen energy, energy and robotics.
Beyond the top appointments, Hyundai said it promoted 219 executives, down from 239 in 2024. This included 14 vice presidents, 25 senior vice presidents and 176 newly appointed managing directors.
The group emphasized a generational shift, with an increasing proportion of executives in their 40s. Almost half of newly appointed managing directors are in their 40s, bringing the average age of first-time MDs into that age bracket for the first time. About 30 percent of all promotions were in R&D and other core technology areas.
Hyundai also hired Shin Yong-seok, an economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, as a vice president to head the Hyundai Motor Group Management Research Institute, its in-house think tank.
sahn@heraldcorp.com
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