Hyundai Motor Company President and CEO José Muñoz held a town hall meeting with employees at the company’s Namyang R&D Center, his first such meeting since assuming the role. At the event, Muñoz underscored his commitment to direct communication with employees and that engineers share the common language of data and statistics.
Beginning the town hall, President Muñoz spoke directly about future business plans, emphasizing the importance of Hyundai Motor’s customer-centric philosophy and achieving the highest quality standards to ensure sustainable success amid the rapidly changing business environment.
“As an engineer, I have been looking forward to spending time with the outstanding team here at Namyang. I tend to challenge engineers because I have high expectations for people I care about, like my family,” said President Muñoz.
President Muñoz shared his reflections on his first two months as CEO and outlined Hyundai Motor’s management strategy, future vision, and approach to overcoming key challenges.
Regarding electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous driving technology, Muñoz emphasized that Hyundai and its employees can achieve greater success together through advanced technology development and strategic partnerships.
Muñoz also shared his leadership approach, offering insights from his extensive global automotive and mobility industry experience. Since joining Hyundai Motor Company in 2019, he has driven significant growth and profitability, solidifying his leadership in the global mobility industry.
Speaking at the town hall, President and CEO Muñoz said, “It’s an honour to serve our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers and other stakeholders in this new capacity. I’m excited and motivated by the tremendous opportunities for Hyundai around the world.”
Attended by more than 800 employees—including President and Head of Research and Development Division Heui Won Yang and Executive Vice President and Hyundai Motor Company Chief HR Officer Hae In Kim—the hour-long session reinforced the pivotal role the Namyang R&D Center has played in Hyundai Motor’s position as a top-three global mobility brand and its importance in the company’s future.
The Center plays a key role in leading Hyundai Motor’s differentiated product strategies tailored to the needs of local markets and in delivering industry-leading quality, safety, and technology innovations.
This year, the 3.47 million-square-meter facility is celebrating its 30th anniversary. It is a comprehensive research and development hub with world-class capabilities in software development, design and engineering, and vehicle testing and evaluation.
“Namyang, our global centre for R&D, has a phenomenal track record of delivering beautifully designed, high-quality, safety-focused vehicles with technology and features that our customers value,” Muñoz commented.
Joining those at Namyang digitally, the town hall was also live-streamed globally to Hyundai Motor colleagues worldwide, including at headquarters in Seoul and operations in China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, India, and the Asia-Pacific regional offices in Indonesia and Australia.
The session included an open Q&A, encouraging direct dialogue between leadership and employees. Asked about overcoming the challenge of global EV adoption, Muñoz highlighted the company’s strategic approach:
Closing the event, Muñoz called on all Hyundai Motor employees worldwide to continue striving for excellence, encouraging them to “Stay humble, stay hungry, work hard and always have a customer service mindset – I am here to serve you so we can serve our customers together.”