Hyundai appoint new chief operating officer

K.Y. Kong appointed as chief operating officer of company’s Construction Equipment division

HYUNDAI Heavy Industries have appointed K.Y. Kong as the new chief operating officer of the Hyundai Construction Equipment division. Mr Kong has worked for Hyundai for 30 years and has held a number of positions within the company, including head of global forklift sales and head of production.

Commenting on his new appointment, Mr Kong said: ‘Technology, quality, marketing and HR are the key drivers for sustainable growth in our business. I’m very confident that by focusing on these four pillars we will deliver great value to our customers, grow our market share, and achieve our goal of becoming a global top-three construction equipment manufacturer and a top-ten material-handling equipment manufacturer.’

Mr Kong succeeds S.G. Rhee as COO of the Construction Equipment division. Mr Rhee, who was managing director of Hyundai Heavy Industries Europe (HHIE) from 2011–2014, retired recently but during recent years steered the company through challenging times amid a recessive economy in many global markets. He also initiated a comprehensive programme to reduce operating costs and realign and minimize the number of key suppliers.

Commenting on Mr Kong’s appointment, Mr Rhee said: ‘Mr Kong and I have managed numerous projects together and this makes me believe that this transition should work out smoothly.’