Hyundai Motor replaces CMO

Hyundai Motor has made a switch in its leading CMO role, naming EVP Thomas Schemera, formerly the head of the automaker's product division, as the new chief marketing officer and head of the consumer experience division. 

EVP and former CMO Wonhong Cho is now heading Hyundai Motor’s new brand strategy support division, overseeing support work on Hyundai’s overall brand strategy.

The South Korean auto brand says the move will help optimise the carmaker's organisational structure "with the most capable leaders in place". In particular, Hyundai says it will be able to more effectively communicate on marketing initiatives for Hyundai, its high-performance motorsport N Brand, and the new Ioniq dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) sub-brand, which just launched its latest model (see video below).

Schemera joined Hyundai Motor in 2018 as the head of the high-performance vehicle and motorsport division and then became head of the product division. In these roles he oversaw the development of Hyundai Motor's product lineup, including N Brand. Some of this oversight will now continue in his new role, as Hyundai's customer experience division will now incorporate management of N Brand and the motorsport sub-division.

Schemera has decades of experience in automotive sales and marketing. Prior to joining Hyundai, he served in multiple positions at BMW in Germany and China, including his role as vice president of sales, marketing and driving experience at BMW M from 2009 to 2014.

Wonhong Cho had been CMO of Hyundai Motor for more than a decade. A supporter of experiential marketing and cultural partnerships, Cho was named to Campaign Asia-Pacific's 2020 Power List. 

Other changes

In a related change, Hyundai Motor now says its customer channel and service sub-division, which manages the global dealer network, is now incorporated into its global operations division for operational efficiency. 

SVP Heung Soo Kim will now head up Hyundai Motor’s product division in place of Schemera, overseeing product strategy and operations for the Hyundai and Kia brands.