Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chang Jae-hoon has been appointed to the newly created position of Group Vice Chairman, tasked with leading the conglomerate's transition to future mobility including autonomous driving, software-defined vehicles (SDV), hydrogen energy, and robotics.
Hyundai Motor Group announced on January 18 through its 2025 executive reshuffle that Chang would assume the role of "Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman." The appointment comes just one year after his promotion to vice chairman in November last year, making him the first to hold this position in the group's history.
The new structure places not only the existing finished vehicle division and corporate planning division under the Group Vice Chairman, but also future technology organizations including the Research & Development (R&D) division, Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) division.
Under the new system, Chang will oversee the group's entire future business portfolio spanning autonomous driving, SDV transition, hydrogen energy, and robotics. The structure is expected to accelerate mass production of future vehicles through organic collaboration between the finished vehicle division—responsible for production vehicle planning, manufacturing, and quality control—and the AVP and R&D divisions leading autonomous driving and SDV development.
Hyundai Motor Group reinforced the new vice chairman structure by replacing the heads of both the R&D and AVP divisions, the "two pillars" of future vehicle development. Manfred Harrer, formerly of Porsche, was promoted to president and appointed as the new R&D division head. Harrer led the development of Porsche's electric Taycan and headed Apple's autonomous vehicle project, making him well-suited to drive Hyundai Motor Group's technological innovation.
A successor to former AVP division head Song Chang-hyun, who resigned on January 5, will be appointed soon. The SDV development roadmap, next-generation infotainment system "Pleos Connect," and autonomous driving technology "Atria AI" established under Song will proceed as planned. Jeong Jun-chul, promoted to president as head of Hyundai Motor and Kia's manufacturing division and manufacturing solutions division, will lead the construction of software-centric factories to prepare for future vehicle mass production.
Seo Gang-hyun, who served as CEO of Hyundai Steel (004020.KS), will take over the group's corporate planning responsibilities previously held concurrently by Vice Chairman Chang. This move is intended to coordinate and optimize operations across group affiliates while allowing Chang to focus on enhancing technological competitiveness and new business areas.
Hyundai Motor Group continued its merit-based approach in this year's personnel changes, prioritizing leaders with proven capabilities. Yoon Seung-gyu, executive vice president and head of Kia's North American region, was promoted to president in recognition of his success in strengthening market dominance in North America amid U.S. high-tariff policies. This establishes a "three-president system" at Kia with Song Ho-sung, Choi Jun-young, and Yoon.
Specialists were appointed to lead affiliates. Lee Bo-ryong, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Steel's production division, was promoted to president and named CEO of Hyundai Steel. With over 30 years in the steel industry, Lee brings extensive experience in R&D, engineering, and steel business operations. He is expected to oversee the company's $5.8 billion (approximately 8.6 trillion won) steel mill construction project in Louisiana, United States.
Jo Chang-hyun, CEO of Hyundai Card, and Jeon Si-woo, CEO of Hyundai Commercial, were both promoted to executive vice president for their stable management of crises arising from internal and external challenges.
The executive reshuffle emphasized securing next-generation talent, reflecting Vice Chairman Chang's focus on future capabilities. While the total number of promotions decreased by 20 from last year's 239 to 219, approximately half of newly promoted senior vice presidents are in their 40s, signaling a "younger personnel" approach. More than 30 percent of all promotions came from key technology fields including R&D. Shin Yong-seok, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, was recruited as head (executive vice president) of HMG Management Research Institute, the group's think tank.
