Korean to head Renault Samsung for first time
By Lee Hyo-sik
Park Dong-hoon, CEO of Renault Samsung Motors
Renault Samsung Motors has promoted Executive Vice President Park Dong-hoon to CEO, replacing outgoing chief Francois Provost who will oversee Renault’s China operations.
Park, who is scheduled to take the helm officially on April 1, will be the first Korean to head the local unit of the French company.
Renault said Park has accumulated extensive knowhow and knowledge of the automotive industry over his 40-year career.
Park, who began working at Hanjin Construction in 1978, became head of Gojin Motors, an importer of Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, in 2001. In 2005, Park was the first CEO of Audi-Volkswagen Korea and held the post through August 2013.
From 2008 to 2012, he was also Chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
In September 2013, he moved to Renault Samsung as executive vice president, managing the nation’s fourth-largest carmaker’s sales division. Park received a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Inha University.
Meanwhile, Provost, who has been in Korea for nearly five years, will become CEO of Renault’s China business.
“Provost, who came to Korea in September 2011, has been credited for turning Renault Samsung around,” a company spokesman said.
“Under his leadership, we were able to post operating profits in 2013, one year earlier than initially projected, as well as expanding our market share and boosting customer satisfaction.”