US – Effective March 1, Erwin Raphael will serve as general manager for the brand, responsible for the strategic direction and management of operations in the US, including sales and marketing. He will report to Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America.
Raphael will form a team to introduce Genesis to the US, including the sales launch of its G90 model this summer. Zuchowski described the role of GM as “critical” to the growth of the brand in the US.
Previously, Raphael was Western Region director and GM for Hyundai Motor America, responsible for overseeing the operations of more than 165 dealerships in 12 states. He has worked for the company since 2010, also serving as director of Engineering and Quality with responsibility for new vehicle engineering, overall production vehicle quality, technical training and support, plus warranty planning and operations.
Before joining Hyundai, Raphael held leadership positions in vehicle development, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing at Chrysler, Toyota Motor Manufacturing and the International Truck and Engine Company.