Regional restructuring continues at Hyundai Motor Company as the automaker appoints Yukontorn Wisadkosin—widely known as Vickie—as ASEAN President under Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific (HMAP). The appointment took effect on March 2, 2026.
Reporting directly to HMAP President Don Romano, Wisadkosin will oversee Hyundai’s operations across five key Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Her role is designed to unify strategy execution across these markets while improving coordination between regional headquarters and local operations.
The move signals Hyundai’s intention to tighten its regional structure in Southeast Asia, a market that has become increasingly important for global automakers. Rather than treating ASEAN markets as largely independent operations, Hyundai is shifting toward a more integrated regional approach aimed at improving efficiency, consistency and growth.
In practical terms, Wisadkosin will be responsible for translating strategy set by Hyundai’s Asia Pacific headquarters into coordinated action across the region. That includes aligning market strategies, strengthening collaboration among national distributors, and ensuring regional initiatives are implemented consistently.
Her appointment comes with significant regional experience. Wisadkosin brings more than two decades of senior leadership in the automotive and consumer industries, including extensive work across Southeast Asia’s diverse and highly competitive markets.
Prior to joining Hyundai, she served as President of ASEAN Markets and Asia Pacific Distributor Markets at Ford Motor Company, where she led the company’s operations across multiple regional markets. During her tenure, she oversaw expansion efforts and helped drive sustained growth in several countries despite increasingly competitive conditions.
For Hyundai, the appointment adds a seasoned ASEAN specialist to a leadership team tasked with expanding the brand’s presence in the region. Southeast Asia represents one of the world’s most dynamic automotive markets, with rising vehicle demand, expanding middle-class consumers, and accelerating electrification initiatives.
According to Don Romano, Wisadkosin’s deep understanding of the region and leadership track record made her a strong fit for the role.
He noted that her experience navigating ASEAN markets would be instrumental as Hyundai moves into its next phase of regional growth. Romano also highlighted that the appointment reflects the company’s broader commitment to strengthening female representation in global leadership positions.
Wisadkosin, meanwhile, described the role as an opportunity to build stronger regional alignment while supporting Hyundai’s transformation strategy across Southeast Asia.
She said the focus moving forward will be on closer collaboration between national teams, enabling the company to deliver greater value to customers and partners throughout the region.
The creation of a more structured ASEAN leadership role reflects Hyundai’s wider organisational shift toward greater regional integration. By consolidating oversight of key Southeast Asian markets under a single executive, Hyundai aims to create a more agile operating model capable of responding quickly to market shifts.
For Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific, the appointment is also part of a broader strategy to reinforce long-term competitiveness in the region. ASEAN’s rapidly evolving automotive landscape—driven by electrification, digital retailing and local manufacturing investment—requires coordinated execution across multiple markets.
With Wisadkosin now leading regional operations, Hyundai is positioning itself to better align its strategy across Southeast Asia while strengthening its ability to compete in one of the industry’s most important growth regions.
