Hyundai names ex-design chief Luc Donckerwolke chief creative officer

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it has appointed Luc Donckerwolke, former head of the group's design center, as chief creative officer in a move to strengthen its design competitiveness.

CCO Donckerwolke will be in charge of design-related communications for the promotion of the Genesis brand, battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup brand IONIQ and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, Hyundai said in a statement.

He resumed his career as executive vice president at the Korean automotive group, and his office will be located at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, it said.

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

In April, Donckerwolke, a Belgian native, resigned for personal reasons amid growing concerns over the coronavirus impact on the automobile industry.

The former Lamborghini and Bentley designer joined Hyundai Motor Group as head of the Hyundai Motor Design Center in November 2015.

Donckerwolke had been in charge of vehicle designs of Hyundai Motor Co., its independent Genesis brand and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. since October 2018.

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

Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands' design work will continue to be overseen by existing management. Lee will continue to lead design for the Hyundai and Genesis brands, and Habib will continue to lead design for the Kia brand, it said.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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