Hyundai Motor Appoints Vice President Luke Dongkerbolke as New COO to Strengthen Brand Communication

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 2nd that it has established a new position of CCO (Chief Creative Officer) to carry out design-based brand communication and appointed Vice President Luc Donckerwolke as the executive in charge.

The newly established CCO position is responsible for various tasks focused on design with the aim of strengthening Hyundai Motor Group's brand competitiveness. Initially, the role will concentrate on design-related communication for the Genesis brand, which is preparing to expand into markets such as Europe, Hyundai's first electric vehicle-exclusive Ioniq brand, and eco-friendly mobility such as hydrogen electric trucks.

Furthermore, the plan is to attempt various forms of communication centered on design, including advanced research on future mobility design and seeking exchanges with renowned designers and scholars in related fields.

Vice President Donckerwolke, who has been appointed as the new CCO, has been responsible for design work since joining Hyundai Motor Group in January 2016. Until his resignation in March this year for personal reasons, he was in charge of overseeing the design of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands.

Hyundai Motor Group explained the background of his reappointment by stating that since Vice President Donckerwolke was the top executive who directly contributed to establishing the direction and strategy of design, he was considered the best fit for the role of CCO to carry out design-based brand communication.

In particular, considering not only his capabilities as a world-class automotive designer demonstrated during his tenure but also his leadership in fostering a horizontal organizational culture and nurturing designer talent, it is expected that his role as CCO, actively communicating with customers and the market, will contribute to enhancing the group's brand awareness and competitiveness.

Hyundai Motor Group's New CCO Vice President Luke Dongkerbolke

Meanwhile, Vice President Donckerwolke plans to focus initially on important issues within the European market and, taking into account the COVID-19 situation, will begin full-scale work centered on Germany and other European regions where the European Regional Headquarters and European Technical Center are located.

The European market is a battleground where many global automakers and numerous startups compete to introduce eco-friendly vehicles and future mobility products and services. Therefore, in addition to tasks aimed at improving brand awareness within Europe, he will also be responsible for highlighting and analyzing market trends in mobility design and disruptive innovation cases.

The CCO will focus on such external communication, while design development by brand will continue to be handled by Executive Director Sangyup Lee, Head of Hyundai Design, for Hyundai and Genesis, and Executive Director Karim Habib, Head of Kia Design, for Kia as before.

However, in the area of advanced design, such as show cars, concept cars, and new mobility concepts where design communication is relatively more necessary, the design heads of both companies and the CCO will collaborate.

Vice President Donckerwolke said, "It is an honor to be able to work again with Hyundai Motor Group in a role that solidifies creativity," adding, "I will work with the design division to promote the diversity and richness of Hyundai Motor Group brands' designs, which are technically dynamic yet customer-oriented."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.