Hankook names new China, America heads

Hankook Tire is tweaking its global management team. Soo Il Lee, who is currently president of Hankook Tire America, will as of 1 January take on the position of president and COO of Hankook’s China regional headquarters. The person he’s replacing, Byeong Jin Lee, has been appointed Soo Il Lee’s successor in the US-based position.

Soo Il Lee began his time at Hankook Tire America in December 2009; prior to this he served as vice-president of the company’s marketing department in Korea. Lee joined Hankook in 1987 and has worked in a number of roles within the company, including managing Hankook’s business operations in Saudi Arabia (1998 to 2000) and France (2001 to 2003) and as marketing strategy team manager in Korea (2004 to 2006).

“My time at Hankook Tire America has been one of the most rewarding during my 25 years with Hankook,” commented Soo Il Lee. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our employees and customers for their hard work and dedication to the Hankook brand. The growth that we have been able to achieve in the Americas is a testament to that dedication and a key component of our continued efforts to make Hankook one of the top tyre manufacturers in the industry.”

 Byeong Jin Lee was vice-president of sales and marketing at Hankook Tire Europe until early 2008, prior to taking on a role with the company in Korea and then his China-based position.