At Hyundai Motor America, they believe everyone deserves better. From the way they design and build their cars to the way they treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything they do.

Automotive

Hyundai Motor America

Erik Thomas is the director, experiential marketing for Hyundai Motor America. In this role, Thomas is responsible for leading experiential and sponsorship marketing for Hyundai with a focus on auto shows, corporate events, dealer meetings, sponsorship strategy and implementation.  Thomas also leads Hyundai’s multicultural marketing focusing on Hyundai’s African American, Hispanic and Asian Markets. Thomas reports directly to Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America.  

Thomas is a 20-year automotive veteran with roles in tech support, business analysis, training supervisor, staff development and quality assurance.  Thomas joined Hyundai in 2011 as manager, auto shows & events. In 2017, he was promoted to senior group manager, experiential marketing. Prior to joining Hyundai, Thomas worked in auto shows & exhibits with American Honda Motor Company.

Thomas holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine.

Erik Thomas

Robert Grafton joined Hyundai in September 2019 as executive director of Dealer Development. Grafton is responsible for managing and implementing the Hyundai dealer network strategy by optimizing retail representation and improving dealer relations. 

Grafton has a successful track record with over three decades of automotive industry experience. Prior to Hyundai, he spent more than 20 years at Nissan North America in various sales and regional leadership positions. He was most recently the director of Dealer Network Strategy at [Infiniti](/org/infiniti), where he was responsible for the overall performance of the dealer network. 

Grafton holds an MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business & Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business & Economics from California State University, Fullerton.

Robert Grafton

Edgar Carranza is the CEO of Hyundai Motor Mexico and [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Edgar was previously with Nissan Motor Corporation from July 2016 to August 2021, where they were the Global Sales General Manager, responsible for sales planning and sales strategies definition in coordination with the Sales heads of each country within the Americas Region. Prior to that, they were with Nissan North America from October 2000 to June 2016 as the Project Leader of Regional Business Planning.

Edgar Carranza has a type: Alta Dirección de Empresas from [IPADE Business School](/org/ipade-business-school), a field in Administración y Negocios from Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor in Industrial Engineer from Instituto Politécnico Nacional.

Edgar Carranza reports to José Muñoz, President & CEO. They work with Sang Yup-Lee - EVP, Head of Hyundai Global Design Center, Randy Parker - CEO, [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america), and Robert Grafton - Executive Director, HMA & GMA Dealer Development & Strategy.

Edgar Carranza

Nathan Edmonds is the director of warranty and dealer technical support for Hyundai Motor America. In this role, Edmonds leads the development and implementation of strategies and best practices to achieve effective warranty operations and technical support for Hyundai and Genesis dealers in the United States.

He is also responsible for driving business objectives for repair accuracy and efficiency, and supporting effective coordination of recall and campaign completion. Edmonds started in this role in January 2022, and reports directly to Barry Ratzlaff, chief customer officer, Hyundai Motor North America.

Previously, Edmonds was the senior manager, technical training for Mazda North American Operations. He brings over 17 years of automotive industry experience to Hyundai Motor America and has held a variety of positions in regional operations, product quality, technology support and field technical operations. 

Edmonds holds a Bachelor of Science in automotive technology from Pittsburg State University.

Nathan Edmonds

Erb is responsible for all legal matters across the region, including product liability, safety and warranty, intellectual property, risk management, cyber security, dealer franchise, and human resources, among other responsibilities.

Erb has been a part of the Hyundai team for nearly 20 years, joining the company in 2002 as senior counsel. Most recently, he served as assistant general counsel and executive director, litigation. In this position, Erb was instrumental in developing the strategy and leading the skillful execution of class action and intellectual property litigation. Prior to Hyundai‚ Erb practiced law at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro in its Los Angeles office.

Erb earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of California‚ Berkeley‚ and his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law.

Jason Erb

Brandon Ramirez is the director of Corporate Social Responsibility and External Relations for Hyundai Motor America. In this role, Ramirez is responsible for the development and implementation of CSR programs and initiatives in the areas of sustainability, innovation and community engagement. He is also responsible for promoting Hyundai and Genesis leadership in technology democratization, eco-friendly mobility solutions and customer-centric experiences. Ramirez started in this role in January 2022, and reports to Dana W. White, chief communications officer, Hyundai Motor North America.

Ramirez is a 23-year automotive veteran with roles in product public relations, product development and planning, budget management and incentives. During his tenure, Hyundai won numerous prestigious awards including the highly coveted North American Car of the Year for the 2021 Elantra, as well as the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year for the 2019 Kona and Kona Electric.

In his 18-years at Hyundai, Ramirez was the senior group manager, product public relations, responsible for communicating the attributes of Hyundai’s entire product lineup to traditional and digital media throughout the country, including auto show strategy, new vehicle launches and ongoing content creation for Hyundai vehicles. He also served as the North American lead for all Global Programs including ideation, media outreach, reporting and exchanging information with Canada and Mexico.

Ramirez also spent 13 years leading product development, market launches and lifecycle management for Hyundai's lineup of cars, CUVs and alternative-powered vehicles. His areas of expertise included target audience research, competitive analysis and market trends, product planning, pricing analysis and communicating key selling points to government officials, media and consumers.

Ramirez also has extensive multicultural experience serving as the chair of Hyundai's internal "Amigos Unidos" employee group, which is tasked with community engagement and raising culture awareness at Hyundai.

Prior to Hyundai, Brandon spent several years in product strategy at Mitsubishi Motors North America.

Ramirez received his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of San Diego.

Brandon Ramirez

As president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. (HACC), Don Romano oversees the operational procedures and strategic implementation of Hyundai and Genesis brands in Canada.  Romano’s seasoned international experience and engaging leadership style helped propel Hyundai to be one of Canada’s leading automotive brands and the largest mainstream electric vehicle distributor in Canada. Romano has been president and CEO of Hyundai Canada since January 2014. 

On the corporate level, Romano champions several initiatives with a focus on developing a fair and inclusive corporate culture and strong employee engagement. These efforts have resulted in Hyundai earning multiple accolades including being named a Great Place to WorkTM. for five consecutive years. Hyundai Auto Canada has also earned the distinction of being one of the Best Workplaces™ for Women, and has also been named a 5-Star Diversity and Inclusion Employer by Human Resources Director. In 2021, Romano was named a Notable Champion of Diversity by Automotive News.

Prior to his tenure with Hyundai Canada, Romano was a senior managing director and chief marketing officer with ALJ International, where he established Toyota Saudi Arabia. He also held senior positions with Nissan North America and Mazda Motor Company.

Don Romano

Carlos Servin is the SVP, Profit Optimization, Hyundai Motor Company COO Office for Hyundai Motor Americas Region. Carlos is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of all cost optimization initiatives across North and South America. This includes benchmarking and implementing best practices for localization, supplier assessments and cost optimization to improve efficiency across Hyundai’s operations in the region. Carlos was named to this role in June 2021.

Servin has over 30 years of global automotive expertise at Ford Motor Company, Volvo Car Corporation AB and Nissan. He was most recently the corporate vice president, global controller for marketing and sales, industrial operations and regions for Nissan.

Servin has worked at both the global headquarters and at the regional level at each of these companies and in markets around the world, including North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, China and Asia.

Servin earned his MBA from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico City.

Carlos Servin

Fred DePerez is the vice president of Product Line Management and Sales Planning for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). This division was created in August 2020 to allow Hyundai to react more rapidly to market conditions and improve decision making across the enterprise. DePerez oversees Product Line Management, Sales Planning, and Retail Operations.

Hyundai’s Product Line Management group focuses on ways to improve performance by analyzing target customers, segment dynamics and the dealer’s engagement level of each Hyundai vehicle. Sales Planning analyzes industry-wide trends and identifies national and regional growth opportunities. Retail Operations manages Hyundai’s national incentive spending, certified pre-owned programs and sales planning activities.

DePerez has 25 years of automotive industry experience. Prior to Hyundai he was the vice president of Nissan’s Northeast Region. He also spent six years at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles where he led Dodge brand operations and 11 years at Toyota Motor Sales USA in various sales and marketing positions.

DePerez has a Bachelor of Arts in business economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration in marketing and corporate strategy from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He also served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Fred Deperez

Kristin Gomez

Bob Kim is the current VP of National Sales for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Prior to joining Hyundai, Bob worked as a consultant for Egon Zehnder from June 2018 to August 2020. Bob also served as the Market President for [AutoNation](/org/autonation) from August 2016 to December 2017. Before that, Bob was the Regional Vice President for the South East Region for Volkswagen of America, Inc from December 2009 to August 2016. Bob has also held positions as the Global Practice Director for Urban Science Applications, Inc and as a Dealer and General Manager for Ottawa Honda.

Bob Kim has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics and Communication from the University of Michigan.

Bob Kim reports to Randy Parker, CEO, [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Bob Kim works with and David Vandelinde - VP, After-Sales, [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america).

Bob Kim

David VandeLinde is the VP of After-Sales for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). VandeLinde is responsible for leading dealer service programs and operations, parts and accessory sales, and owner marketing.

VandeLinde received his Bachelor of Science in Automotive Technology, Service Management from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. He and his wife created the Lois Hosier and Jean Cruce Women in Technology Scholarship at his alma mater that is awarded to college women pursuing their dreams in automotive, construction engineering, plastics, graphics and imaging, and workforce learning degree programs. Through the scholarship, he hopes to opens doors and opportunities for female students to succeed and flourish in the fields of automotive and technology. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at [George Fox University](/org/george-fox-university) in Newburg, Ore.

VandeLinde resides in Irvine, California.



David Vandelinde

Euisun Chung

John Shon is the senior group manager of product planning for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). He has been in this role since 2018, and is responsible for overseeing the product planning and lifecycle management of Hyundai’s SUV models. John coordinates the product development process with [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america)’s parent company, [Hyundai Motor Company](/org/hyundai-motor-company), to ensure Hyundai’s SUV models are uniquely positioned in the North American market by offering outstanding design and craftsmanship, premium amenities and seamless integration of technology.

Since joining Hyundai in 2006, he has held various positions in Product Planning and Corporate Strategy.

Shon earned his Bachelor’s in economics from the [University of California, Irvine](/org/university-of-california-irvine), and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

John Shon

Thomas Schemera was named Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Customer Experience Division, [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america) in March of 2021. Before this, Schemera was the head of the Product Division at [Hyundai Motor Group](/org/hyundai-motor-group) where he developed strategies to address the rapid paradigm shift in automotive products.

Schemera started his career at [Hyundai Motor Company](/org/hyundai-motor-company) as head of the High Performance Vehicle and Motorsport Division in March, 2018. He oversaw strategy, product planning, sales and marketing for this new division.

He began his career as a design engineer at BMW in 1987. He played various key roles at the [BMW Group](/org/bmw-group) including four years as the vice president of Sales & Dealer Development in the Mainland and Greater China regions, where he led a four-fold increase in sales of BMW and BMW M models from 2005 to 2008.

Schemera also served as vice president of Sales, Marketing and Driving Experience at BMW M in Germany from 2009 until 2014. Right before joining Hyundai in 2018, he was the Head of BMW M and the BMW Individual Collection in the Americas. The BMW Individual Collection allows an expanded array of paint and trim options to be applied to a number of models within the BMW range.

German-born Schemera, 55, studied mechanical engineering at Bochum University of Applied Science and Industrial Engineering & Economics at Munich University of Applied Science.

Thomas Schemera

Steve Gehring is the executive director of North American Safety Regulations and Policy. Steve is based in Hyundai’s Washington, D.C. office and is responsible for executing Hyundai’s vehicle safety strategy in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In addition, he focuses on Hyundai’s work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the [U.S. Department of Transportation](/org/u-s-department-of-transportation), and other vehicle safety policy groups and stakeholders. Steve was named executive director of North American Safety Regulations and Policy in March 2020.

Gehring comes to Hyundai with 30 years of automotive industry experience, most recently with the Association of Global Automakers and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. This experience involved developing and implementing the trade group’s policy and regulatory positions on safety and autonomous vehicles. Prior to Global Automakers, he was director of Safety Public Policy at [General Motors](/org/general-motors) in Washington, D.C.

Gehring holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from [Kettering University](/org/kettering-university).

Steve Gehring

Angela Zepeda is the chief marketing officer (CMO) for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Angela is responsible for all of Hyundai’s marketing and advertising activities in the U.S., including the strategic direction, brand development, national and regional advertising, experiential marketing, digital and social media, brand partnerships, and lead generation, among other responsibilities. Angela was named CMO in October 2019.

Angela comes to Hyundai as a seasoned marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience. She has built a career on consumer-centric campaigns that build brands and drive business results, and is an expert in online and digital marketing. Angela was most recently at Hyundai’s agency of record INNOCEAN USA, where she spent three years and was the senior vice president and managing director, handling all operations for the Hyundai business including creative, planning and media operations. She was initially hired by the agency to head up business development.

Previous to Innocean, Angela was CEO of Quigley-Simpson in Los Angeles, where she oversaw all aspects of the agency—from brand leadership to new business development to operational efficiencies. Before that, Angela was CMO of Campbell Ewald-Los Angeles, where she played a key role in growing the agency’s business. Angela has also worked at some of Los Angeles’ best-known agencies, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, [Team One](/org/team-one), Rapp, [Doner](/org/doner), and FCB, providing counsel to clients in the automotive, healthcare, financial services and packaged goods industries.

Angela is also an expert in marketing to women, with a keen understanding of the emotional triggers involved in women’s retail habits. She has spoken on the topic at various conferences, including the ISSM CONVERGE Conference, the WLN Conference, the M2W Conference in Chicago, and the Marketing to Women Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Angela holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Advertising from California State University, Fullerton. She is a member of thinkLA, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the American Advertising Federation, and has held board positions with the Susan G. Komen organization and the LA Grant Foundation.

Angela Zepeda

Randy Parker is the chief executive officer of [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). In this role, Parker is responsible for Hyundai’s commercial automotive operations in the United States. Parker is one of the first African Americans to be CEO of a major automotive company regional market. Parker became CEO in August 2022 and reports to José Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. 

In May 2019, Parker joined [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america) as the vice president of national sales and was promoted to senior vice president in February 2021. During his tenure as the head of sales, Hyundai became one of the fastest growing mainstream brands in the U.S., setting an all-time retail sales record in 2021 and growing retail market share 31% since 2020.

Prior to joining Hyundai, Parker had more than three decades of automotive industry experience and leadership roles at both Nissan and [General Motors](/org/general-motors). He served as division vice president, Global Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales and marketing at Nissan Motor Company where he was responsible for the automaker’s LCV business unit based in Yokohama, Japan.

At Nissan, he was also vice president of Infiniti North America, where he was in charge of the brand’s overall performance in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and previous to that the regional vice president of Nissan USA’s western region. Prior to Nissan, Parker spent nearly 25 years at [General Motors](/org/general-motors), working in a variety of sales, marketing and finance roles.

Parker holds a Bachelor of Science degree from [Texas Christian University](/org/texas-christian-university). He also completed Executive Management Programs at Harvard and Penn State. In 2021, Parker was named to the Automotive News All-Star list and was also recognized by the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2022 in their prestigious list of industry influencers.

Randy Parker

Paul Imhoff is the director of Customer Experience at [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Paul was appointed to this role in June 2020 after spending four years as the director of Marketing Communications. 

In his role, Imhoff is responsible for leading an enterprise-wide, cross-functional effort to define, implement, measure and achieve an industry-leading customer experience for Hyundai in the U.S. He directly leads the teams responsible for executing owner communications, service marketing, and customer feedback and support.

Paul Imhoff

Ricky Lao was promoted to director, product planning, effective January 25th , reporting to Olabisi Boyle, vice president, product planning and mobility strategy, Hyundai Motor North America. Under Ricky’s leadership, the Product team will focus on delivering the most competitive vehicles in the automotive industry. The team will be responsible for leading the product planning process from concept phase through product launch, and subsequent lifecycle management, for all current and future cars and SUVs representing the Hyundai and Genesis North American market.

Ricky has held several leadership roles at [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america) since 2010. He most recently served as senior group manager, product planning and strategy for Genesis transitioning from manager and senior manager roles within Genesis Product Planning.  Prior to working for Hyundai, Ricky gained his first OEM experience at [General Motors](/org/general-motors) and subsequently worked for Toyota Motor Sales USA holding various roles in Lexus Product Planning and Marketing. He brings over 15 years of expertise in the automotive and strategic product planning field.

Ricky has a BS in electrical engineering and BA in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Ricky Lao

Ken Ramirez is the president and CEO of both Hyundai Motor Brazil and Hyundai Motor Central and South America. Ken was appointed to this role in January 2021 and reports to Hyundai Motor’s Global COO and Head of the Americas region, José Muñoz.

Ramirez comes to Hyundai from PSA Group, where he served as senior vice president, Sales and Marketing for Europe, overseeing the Group’s flagship brand, Peugeot. Prior to PSA Group, Ramirez had a lengthy career at the Renault-Nissan Alliance, most recently serving as the senior vice president, Sales and Marketing for Nissan Europe. He joined the Alliance in 2002 and held various leadership roles, including managing director of Nissan Latin America and the Caribbean. At Renault, he was managing director of Renault UK before being appointed senior vice president of Europe and a member of the Renault Management Committee.

Ramirez has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the [Georgia Institute of Technology](/org/georgia-institute-of-technology) and had been an advisory counselor for the French Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

Ken Ramirez

Robert Hood is the vice president of government affairs for [Hyundai Motor Company](/org/hyundai-motor-company) and is based out of the company’s Washington, D.C. office. In this role, Hood is responsible for leading Hyundai’s U.S. government affairs strategy and operations at the federal and state levels. He was named to this position in July 2020.

Hood most recently served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Defense, where he was responsible for promoting the policies of the Department as well as maintaining relationships with the Executive Branch and Members of Congress.

Hood previously served as Vice President for Government Affairs for CH2M, where he advised the company on federal affairs. Hood also served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush in the Office of Legislative Affairs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Budget and Appropriations Affairs. Additionally, Hood served as Director of Congressional Affairs for the [National Nuclear Security Administration](/org/national-nuclear-security-administration), a semi-autonomous agency within the [Department of Energy](/org/department-of-energy).

Earlier in his career, Hood spent time on Capitol Hill as well – beginning his congressional career with Congressman Newt Gingrich, becoming Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Policy, and later working as a Professional Staff Member on the House Committee on Science. He also served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson.

Hood is originally from Marietta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the [University of West Georgia](/org/university-of-west-georgia). 

Robert Hood

Olabisi Boyle is the vice president of Product Planning and Mobility Strategy for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Boyle is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of Hyundai’s U.S. vehicle lineup, leading long- and short-range planning, and overseeing market research, business analytics and pricing.

She also leads Hyundai’s U.S. mobility strategy, including IT business solutions, connected car technology and future innovations. Boyle was named vice president of Product Planning and Mobility Strategy in August 2020.

Boyle joined Hyundai from Visa, where she was most recently the vice president of Connected Commerce, leading the Internet of Things, Tap-to-Phone, and Acceptance Cloud payment products. Prior to her Connected Commerce position, she was the vice president of IoT and Connected Car, where she was responsible for expanding Visa’s in-car payment technology.

Boyle has 20 years of automotive industry experience, including various engineering, product strategy and manufacturing leadership roles at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Company. At Chrysler, she was the director of Engineering Planning and Technical Cost Reduction and prior to that was the chief engineer for Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan Minivans.

Boyle has been recognized for her career accomplishments and was recently selected to the San Francisco Business Times’ 2020 Most Influential Women in the Bay Area list and was the recipient of the 2018 Women in Payments Innovation Award. She is an advisory board member for the Los Angeles Auto Show (AutoMobility LA) and was elected as co-chair and board member of the Chrysler African American Network. Boyle also served as a board member of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP).

Boyle has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from [Columbia University](/org/columbia-university), a Bachelor of Science in physics from Fordham University and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from [Columbia University](/org/columbia-university).

Olabisi Boyle

Brian Latouf

Omar Rivera is the executive director, quality and service engineering for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). Rivera rejoined Hyundai in December 2017 as director of safety, quality and service engineering, prior to being promoted to his current position in November 2021.

Rivera is responsible for accelerating quality improvement across Hyundai’s lineup. His duties include model line and safety engineering, port and accessory quality, engineering analysis, and quality assurance of new technologies such as electric powertrains, advanced driver-assistance system and multimedia/connectivity, among other responsibilities.

Omar Rivera

Vijay Rao

Trevor Lai

Mike Evanoff

In November 2020, Manish Mehrotra was named executive director of Digital Business Planning and Connected Operations for Hyundai Motor North America. Mehrotra’s organization is responsible for the following key areas: IT Strategy & Planning, Sales and Service, Enterprise Systems, Digital Planning & Connected Operations, Enterprise and Vehicle Cyber Security, Big Data, Governance and Data Monetization

Mehrotra previously served in the same capacity for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america) from January 2016 thru April 2020 and prior to that as the senior group manager of digital business and connected operations for Hyundai Motor North America from 2015 – 2016.

Since joining Hyundai in 2012, Mehrotra has held the positions in :

Digital business and connected operations
Office of customer management and owner website
Enterprise architecture

Prior to his time at Hyundai, he held managerial roles at [Mitsubishi Motors North America](/org/mitsubishi-motors-north-america-inc) for seven years prior to which he was a consultant there for about three years and introduced several processes to improve operations. Mehrotra started his career in 1992 as a consultant in financial services industry and was assigned to [American Express](/org/american-express) until 2001 where he became the subject matter expert in the global financial settlement system. He also served at [Accenture](/org/accenture) from 2001-2002.

He received his Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics – Honors) as one of the top ten graduates from Nagpur University in India, and earned his Master of Business Administration (Honors) from UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles, California and was inducted as an EMBA honor society member reserved for the top 15 percent of the graduating class.



Manish Mehrotra

Barry Ratzlaff is the chief customer officer for Hyundai Motor North America. In this role, he is responsible for Hyundai’s customer experience strategy, retail process, sales and service training, product quality and service engineering.

Ratzlaff is a 30-year automotive veteran with roles in manufacturing, quality and product development. In his 14-plus years at Hyundai, he’s overseen the company’s rapid rise in both the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Customer Service Index (CSI). He has served in leadership positions in Product Quality, Service Business Development, Customer Connect, and Digital Business Planning and Connected Operations.

Ratzlaff previously served as the executive director of Customer Connect and Service Business Development for [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america) from 2013 - 2015. He was responsible for dealer service process performance, owner marketing, consumer affairs and the deployment of Blue Link® connected car technology and other telematics services.

Since joining Hyundai in 2006, Ratzlaff has also held the positions of director of Customer Care and Connected Car, director of Service Operations, and director of Quality and Service Engineering.

Ratzlaff has extensive work history in the automotive industry, having held roles at [General Motors](/org/general-motors), Toyota and DaimlerChrysler. He spent 14 years at [General Motors](/org/general-motors)’ Wentzville Assembly Plant, where he was responsible for process engineering and production management.

After his time at [General Motors](/org/general-motors), he spent three years at Toyota. At Toyota, Ratzlaff established the quality assurance and quality control processes as part of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana start-up team. While he was at DaimlerChrysler from 2000-2006, he served as the director of Proactive Quality in Auburn Hills, Mich., where he led process re-engineering to improve vehicle quality during development and launch. From 2005-2006, Ratzlaff managed the DaimlerChrysler St. Louis, Mo., South Assembly plant.

Ratzlaff earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Administration and Finance from the [General Motors](/org/general-motors) Institute, now known as Kettering University, and he received his Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Barry Ratzlaff

Andrew Moir

Gilbert Castillo

José Muñoz is the Global Chief Operating Officer of [Hyundai Motor Company](/org/hyundai-motor-company) and the president and CEO of both Hyundai Motor North America and [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america). In this capacity, Muñoz is responsible for global operations strategies and their successful implementation, delivering profitable growth and improving the overall performance of [Hyundai Motor Company](/org/hyundai-motor-company).

Muñoz also oversees the entire American market, including Hyundai Motor North, Central and South America, as the head of the [Hyundai Motor America](/org/hyundai-motor-america)s Region. Muñoz is based in Hyundai’s U.S. headquarters in Fountain Valley, California.

Prior to joining Hyundai, Muñoz was most recently the Chief Performance Officer for Nissan Motor Corporation and the Chairman of Nissan China. He joined Nissan in 2004 and during his 15 years at the automaker led significant growth and record sales in the regions he managed. Muñoz is a native of Spain and earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Polytechnic University of Madrid and has an MBA from Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School in Madrid. He has also completed executive management programs from Cranfield School of Management in the U.K. and INSEAD Business School in France. He is fluent in English, Spanish and French. 

José Muñoz

Kevin Kang

Sang Yup-Lee

Chung Kook Park is the Head of R&D Division & President for Hyundai Motor.

Chung Kook Park

Nicole Geenen is the director of Retail Process and Training for Hyundai Motor America. In this position, she leads a group of teams responsible for sales and service processes, dealership training, and customer feedback and sales and service satisfaction. Geenen started in this role in July 2021.

Previously, Geenen was the vice president of Service Operations for HAAH Motor Holdings. Prior to HAAH, she was the director of Service at Mitsubishi Motors North America. She spent the bulk of her career at Mazda North American Operations, where she held a variety of field operations, aftersales, service and marketing positions.

Nicole Geenen

Kate Fabian is the director of Marketing Communications for Hyundai Motor America. In this position, she is responsible for brand strategy and planning, multicultural marketing, media strategy, national and regional dealer advertising, experiential marketing, branded content and social media. Fabian started in this role in October 2020.

Fabian has been a part of the Hyundai family for more than 10 years. She was most recently the senior group manager of Marketing at Genesis Motor America where she was an integral part of the luxury brand’s launch and led the marketing and advertising activities in the U.S., including the strategic direction, brand development, national and regional advertising, experiential marketing, digital and social media, brand partnerships and lead generation.

Fabian led Genesis Motor America into the Super Bowl for the first time in 2020 with a memorable, 60-second spot to launch the first-ever Genesis SUV. The spot was the No. 1 luxury automotive brand for views, 27x more effective than any other Super Bowl spot at driving search volume, and made Genesis the No. 1 brand and GV80 the No. 1 model at driving search across Edmunds.com.

Following closely behind the Super Bowl, Fabian and her team elevated the Genesis Open to an Invitational, one of only three on the entire PGA TOUR, and redefined this partnership by providing an unparalleled and fully immersive luxury experience that provided a global platform surpassing all expectations. More than just a golf tournament, the Genesis Invitational has become an LA area cultural event and is regularly referred to by players and attendees alike as their favorite stop on the PGA TOUR.

A seasoned marketing executive, Fabian has more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning and the creative execution of brand, product and retail communications for blue chip clients and international sporting federations, including Subaru, Tourism Australia, KFC, Coca-Cola, Sydney Olympics, Manchester Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games.

Kate is a highly independent thinker with proven industry leadership in the development of multiple award-winning, innovative and strategic brand communications platforms and is motivated by a challenging environment and a relentless determination to deliver results.

Prior to Genesis, she was the brand communications manager for Hyundai Motor Company Australia. In addition, Fabian was one of the founding members at INNOCEAN Worldwide in Australia, Hyundai’s marketing agency, where she was charged with leading the Hyundai business. Before her work at Hyundai, she was the business director at Leo Burnett Sydney, leading the Subaru business, and also held positions at advertising firms Ogilvy and Mather and George Patterson Y&R.

Fabian received her Bachelor of Commerce in marketing and management from the University of Wollongong, Australia.

Kate Fabian

The leadership team at Hyundai Motor America has a long history in the automotive industry. Many of the team members have worked for other major companies such as Nissan, Mazda, and Mitsubishi. The team is well-educated, with many members holding degrees from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

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