Brit Michael Cole named as first non-Korean Hyundai CEO

Cole moves from president of Kia America to become president and CEO of Hyundai Europe from July

Hyundai has announced that Michael Cole will take over as president and CEO of its European business, making the Brit the first non-Korean to hold the top position. 

Cole, who will begin his role on 1 July, moves from his current job as president of sister brand Kia's US division. He succeeds Dongwoo Choi, who held the Hyundai Europe CEO position for two years.

Cole has a 36-year career in the automotive industry, starting in Ford’s dealer network before joining Toyota UK in 1994 and rising to become sales director for the region.  

He has worked for Kia for 11 years, presiding as European chief operating officer for six years. During his tenure, which ended in 2018 with his move to Kia America, the brand's European sales grew by 40%. 

It’s rare for a non-Korean to reach a high-ranking executive position within the Hyundai Group, but the company has more recently embraced European management as the division has become more locally based within regions. Previously, the highest-ranking European was former COO Thomas Schmid, an Austrian who left the firm in 2019. 

The Hyundai Group’s overall design operation is headed by German Peter Schreyer, while his former Volkswagen Group colleague Luc Donckerwolke, a Belgian, was chief design officer until his resignation in April 2020. 

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