The New General Manager for United States Genesis Brand
Erwin Raphael Named new General Manager for United States Genesis Brand
Back on February 15, 2016, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor America, Dave Zuchowski, named Erwin Raphael the new General Manager for the Genesis brand in the United States. This gives Raphael all sorts of responsibilities, which includes but is not limited to: overseeing the strategic direction and management of Genesis operations in the United States. This, of course, means that Raphael will be in charge of forming a new team of individuals that will provide assistance with regard to the launch of the Genesis brand in the U.S. (which, by the way, includes the introduction of the Genesis G90 in this country, which will officially go on sale this summer).“The position of Genesis General Manager is a critical one to the growth of this brand in the United States and I couldn’t be happier to have Erwin take this key position,” Zuchowski noted. “Erwin’s depth of product knowledge, brand dealer experience and skill at flawless execution all will be called upon as he drives success for this new brand.”
And Zuchowski was not blowing smoke, so to speak, when he mentioned Raphael’s experience. That is, Raphael was formally the Western Region Director and General Manager for Hyundai Motor America. Under this title, he was responsible for managing the numerous operations of more than 165 Hyundai dealerships, all of which make their home in the twelve Western-most states in the country. Too, Raphael has been an employee of Hyundai Motor America—in one way or another—since 2010, also serving as the Director of Engineering and Quality at the company. Here, Raphael’s responsibilities included all new vehicle engineering, technical training and support, warranty planning and operations and overall improvement in quality of production vehicles.
Raphael’s noted experience in the auto industry, too, even goes beyond his relationship with Hyundai Motor America. That is, before joining the company in 2010, Raphael worked at a number of higher/leadership positions in engineering, manufacturing, vehicle development and sales and marketing, all with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, the International Truck and Engine Company, and Chrysler LLC. Needless to say, Raphael’s impressive pedigree with regard to the automotive industry speaks volumes about what Hyundai Motor America will expect from its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Still, just on paper alone, the move makes definite sense for the automaker. Raphael is an excellent choice and time will tell if he moves the company’s Genesis brand further into the future.
As is always the case, keep checking back in here with us at Rosen Hyundai for more information with regard to Hyundai Motor America’s staff decisions. Too, while you are at it, why not come down and sign up to test drive one of our vehicles or check out our new 2016 models.
