Hyundai’s ex-design chief Donckerwolke named chief creative officer

Hyundai Motor Co. has appointed former design chief Luc Donckerwolke as the automaking group’s chief creative officer, a new post created as part of the automaker's efforts to enhance the company’s recognition as a global luxury brand.

The CCO will be in charge of design-related communications for the promotion of the Genesis brand, the electric vehicle IONIQ and hydrogen fuel-cell cars, Hyundai said on Nov. 2.

He will directly report to group Chairman Chung Euisun, who last month assumed the leadership throne of the world’s fifth-largest automaker, when combined with Hyundai Motor’s sister firm Kia Motors Corp.

In March, the Belgian native resigned as Hyundai’s chief designer, citing personal reasons amid growing concerns over the impact of COVID-19 on the automobile industry.

He is resuming his career at the automotive group as executive vice president, and will initially be working from Europe at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center.

"In collaboration with the design teams, I will communicate the diversity and richness of the group brands' designs, which are not only technologically dynamic but also customer-centric," he said in the statement.

The former Lamborghini and Bentley designer originally joined Hyundai Motor Group as its chief designer in January 2016.

Since his departure in March this year, Lee Sang-yup, senior vice president and head of the Hyundai Design Center, and Karim Habib, head of the Kia Design Center, have led the group's design innovation.

Lee will continue to lead design for Hyundai cars, including standalone luxury brand Genesis, while Habib will take care of design for Kia models.

Write to Sun A Lee at suna@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.