Randy Parker named CEO of Hyundai Motor America; second Black CEO named within the U.S. auto trade this month

Hyundai Motor Co. is making key govt shifts, together with the appointment of Randy Parker as CEO of Hyundai Motor America.

The modifications observe the expansion of tasks for Jose Muñoz, who’s international COO of Hyundai Motor Co. in addition to CEO of Hyundai Motor North America.

Parker will likely be accountable for main Hyundai’s industrial automotive operations within the U.S. and can report on to Muñoz, the automaker said in a statement on Thursday.

He is without doubt one of the first African People to be named CEO of an automaker in a regional market. He is additionally the second Black CEO named within the U.S. auto trade this month. On July 12, Lordstown Motors Corp. named Edward Hightower as its new CEO — the first Black CEO of a U.S. automaker in additional than 100 years.

In his present position as senior vice chairman of nationwide gross sales for Hyundai Motor America, which he assumed in 2021, Parker has had oversight of all features of gross sales and distribution.

Bob Kim, who’s at present normal supervisor for Hyundai’s southern area, will assume the nationwide gross sales position and report back to Parker.

Different strikes

On the identical time, Hyundai stated it’s selling Tedros Mengiste, govt director of gross sales operations at Genesis Motor America, Hyundai’s luxurious arm, to vice chairman of gross sales operations for Genesis. Mengiste will proceed to run gross sales, manufacturing, distribution, incentives and subject operations within the U.S. and proceed to report on to Genesis COO Claudia Marquez.

Edgar Carranza will turn into CEO of Hyundai Motor de Mexico, charged with oversight of business automotive operations within the area. Carranza, at present COO, will report on to Munoz.

All of the appointments take impact Monday.

Underneath Parker’s gross sales management throughout a interval of industrywide stock shortages, the Hyundai model logged 738,081 U.S. gross sales in 2021, a 19 % enhance over 2020. Hyundai additionally grew U.S. market share from 4.three % in 2020 to 4.9 % in 2021. This yr by June, Hyundai gross sales accounted for five % of the U.S. market.

“I’ve little doubt [Parker] will proceed to strengthen the total Hyundai workforce and our vendor community,” Munoz stated in a press release.

Earlier than working for Hyundai, Parker was vice chairman of Infiniti North America, in control of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In his three a long time within the auto trade, he additionally has held management roles at Nissan, Common Motors and GM Acceptance Corp.