Hyundai Motor Group is prioritizing continuity and stability over change, avoiding a year-end reshuffle of prime administration because it pursues regular enterprise progress.
The Korean carmaker has borne the brunt of a 25 % auto tariff within the U.S. for nearly half a 12 months. Even after Korea and the U.S. agreed to scale back the determine to fifteen %, the carmaker remains to be on excessive alert, as a consequence of unpredictable commerce insurance policies from the Donald Trump administration.
Late final 12 months, Hyundai Motor appointed two prime executives — CEO Jose Munoz and President Sung Kim. The choice was aimed toward preemptively addressing mounting U.S. tariff dangers, and was the primary time that Hyundai Motor appointed a overseas CEO.
Because the carmaker persistently realigns its enterprise technique in response to ongoing adjustments in its largest export market, there’s a broad expectation that Munoz’s time period can be prolonged, recognizing his ability in driving gross sales progress even within the face of the tariff shocks. His present time period ends in March 2026.
Hyundai Motor reported accrued gross sales of 139.4 trillion gained ($95.6 billion) within the first three quarters mixed, up 8.4 % from the earlier 12 months.
Munoz is acknowledged for driving the agency’s outstanding gross sales progress over the previous few years, in addition to fastidiously positioning the corporate in gentle of adjustments to the U.S. tariff surroundings.
Kim can also be anticipated to proceed in his function as president subsequent 12 months, a essential time as Hyundai Motor wants to reply swiftly to any commerce coverage adjustments within the U.S., notably as they enter what the corporate calls a “golden cycle” of latest car launches in 2026.
Kim was the primary Korean American ambassador to Korea, serving within the place from 2011 to 2014. The veteran diplomat-turned-businessman has a broad political and enterprise community within the U.S.
“Each overseas executives are thought-about to have performed a pivotal function in tackling the carmaker’s unsure exterior enterprise surroundings this 12 months, whereas on the identical time propelling its international gross sales progress,” an auto trade official stated.
Tune Chang-hyun, president and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s international software program heart, will even stay in workplace for continuity as they give attention to changing into a software-driven car maker.
Headquarters of Hyundai Motor and Kia in Seoul / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
International rankings businesses are additionally praising Hyundai Motor’s secure administration and stable progress within the international market.
Fitch Scores maintained the carmaker’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default score at A- with a secure outlook, citing the agency’s stable model competitiveness and secure monetary construction.
The carmaker additionally obtained A rankings from Moody’s and S&P — two different international prime rankings businesses — in recognition of the agency’s broad gross sales protection within the international market and numerous product portfolio, encompassing hybrid and electrical autos.
“Hyundai Motor Group is without doubt one of the few carmakers that’s able to producing virtually the entire powertrains, from automobiles with inside combustion engines to eco-friendly autos with electrical motors and even hydrogen automobiles,” one other official from the auto trade stated.
