Hyundai India MD & CEO Y K Koo steps down, Seon Seob Kim to take over

New Elantra, New Tucson, Grand i10, New 2017 Elite i20, The Next Gen Verna', 'The New 2018 CRETA', 'The All New SANTRO', among other models, were launched under his watch

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Managing Director & CEO Y K Koo has stepped down from his post. He is moving back to the automaker's head office in Korea. Koo will be replaced by Seon Seob Kim, head of the business operations division. 
 

While HMIL officials were not available for comment immediately, Hyundai's global announcement stated that Kim would become the head of Hyundai Motor India headquarters. Sources said that normally Head of the operations used to have two year tenure, Koo got one year extension, which has ended now.

Koo's journey with Hyundai
 

Koo was the MD & CEO of Hyundai Motor India Limited since November 2015. New Elantra, New Tucson, Grand i10, New 2017 Elite i20, The Next Gen Verna’, 'The New 2018 CRETA',  'The All New SANTRO' among others were launched under his watch. "Till 2020, we are targeting to launch 8 new products, a power train, and related infrastructure that will entail a combined investment of over $1 billion," he had said.

His vision was to position Hyundai as a premium car brand in the country.

He joined Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea in 1984. He has over 34 years of diversified work experience in global markets with Hyundai.

Prior to Hyundai Motor India he was the CEO of Hyundai Motor CIS (Russia) for 3 years.

He had worked at Hyundai Motor India in an earlier stints for over nine years. He was one of the founding members of Hyundai Motor India’s operations in 1997. He played a key role in building sales and marketing operations from 2008-2011.

During his leadership, the company has strengthened its’s brand image through consistent growth and brought significant changes. According to the Brand Track Study 2017, Hyundai Motor India brand awareness surged from 77 per cent in 2016 to 80 per cent in 2017, brand preference went up from 69.7 per cent to 70.7 per cent and repurchase intention from 73 per cent to 76.2 per cent in the same period, says the company's website.