Hankook Tire is restructuring its organization and has made new executive appointments. The changes will take effect as of January 2019. Plans are to create an IT strategy department to accelerate digital transformation, such as a group IT policy function, as a global company.
The organizational restructuring will include the establishment of a car life business headquarters to secure new growth engines, strengthening the provision of automobile total services, as well as the sales of tires for passenger cars, trucks and buses. In particular, it will create further synergies by expanding business areas in automotive maintenance, repair and related parts through import car dealer business.
In addition, the company’s plans include the establishment of overseas branches in Australia, Indonesia, the UAE and Vietnam, as well as a regional head office in the Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East region. Hankook will also establish offices in Taipei, Taiwan, and Belgrade, Serbia, to ensure balanced regional growth.
A future technology development team will be created to focus on global digital trends and new technologies – and also strengthen the quality and R&D departments.
Based on the organizational restructuring, three senior vice presidents and 11 vice presidents have been promoted.
Jeongrock Yoon, who has been promoted to a senior vice president, will focus on the production efficiency of the Daejeon plant using his specialist experience in the construction of new plants through to the stabilization of production – culminated through his role as MD at the Hungary, Geumsan and Tennessee factories.
Senior vice president Hyunjun Cho will focus on boosting premium brand value by expanding the supply of Hankook tires.
Seonghak Hwang, senior vice president, who was previously MD at the Jiaxing plant and head of the OE development team at the China headquarters, will focus on maximizing the synergy between R&D and manufacturing. In particular, as manager of the Hungary factory, Hwang will focus on the steady provision of tires globally to premium car and replacement markets, in line with the company’s continued growth in the European market.
Finally, Hankook has appointed Seyoul Ryu as head of the IT strategy department. He moves over from his role as executive director of the Hyundai AutoEver ICT business division and as general manager of SAP KOREA. Ryu is an ERP specialist who has worked on various innovation/PI projects. He will lead the fourth industrial revolution and the group’s digital revolution.
