Hyundai Motor America, the United States branch of Hyundai, has named John Krafcik as its new acting president and CEO. Krafcik moves up from VP of Product Development and Strategic Planning for Hyundai, a position he had held since August 2004 when he moved to Hyundai from Ford.
In the four years Krafcik has been at Hyundai, he has been responsible for the Tucson small SUV and helping to set up Hyundai’s Alabama assembly plant. At Ford, he worked on the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.
Hyundai’s previous president and CEO for its U.S. unit, Jong Eun Kim, will return to the company’s global headquarters in Korea, the automaker said in a release.
Krafcik will be directly responsible for managing the company’s U.S. operations, including distribution of vehicles and planning of future product for the market.
