South Korea’s top carmaker Hyundai Motor Group tapped an ex-Lamborghini designer Monday to market its high-end Genesis brand during its latest personnel shuffle. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s top carmaker Hyundai Motor Group tapped an ex-Lamborghini designer Monday to market its high-end Genesis brand during its latest personnel shuffle.
Manfred Fitzgerald will be in charge of leading Hyundai’s strategy for its Genesis brand at home and abroad, the carmaker said.
Fitzgerald joined Italy-based Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. in 1999, and took charge of the firm’s marketing between 2006 and 2011. Industry watchers said his contributions solidified Lamborghini’s presence around the globe.
Manfred Fitzgerald, Hyundai Motor Co.’s new executive for Genesis strategy. (Image : Yonhap)
In November, Hyundai Motor launched the independent global brand “Genesis” in a bid to better target the fast-growing high-end vehicle market.
Genesis has been the name of Hyundai Motor’s most popular luxury sedan model which first hit the market in 2008. During its development phase, Hyundai had planned to launch the Genesis as an independent brand like Toyota’s Lexus and Volkswagen’s Audi, but the decision was put on hold in part due to the financial crisis of the late 2000s.
Along with the announcement of the new vision, Hyundai also tapped renowned industry designer Luc Donckerwolke in November to help strengthen the design capacity of Hyundai and Genesis. He led car design at Audi, Lamborghini and SEAT. Since 2012, he has worked as chief designer at Bentley.
Hyundai Motor Group, meanwhile, announced its regular executive-level personnel shift on Monday, promoting 368 executives, down 65 from a year earlier amid the prolonged economic slowdown.
(Yonhap)
