Hyundai Motor named Jose Munoz, current U.S. chief and global chief operating officer, as co-chief executive officer on Friday, marking a rare appointment of a foreign national to a CEO post at a major South Korean conglomerate.

Hyundai Motor appointed Jose Munoz as its new president and chief executive, making him the first non-Korean leader of the auto giant.

FILE PHOTO: Jose Munoz, Global President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hyundai Motor Company and the president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America looks on during the press day preview of the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo