Hyundai Mobis hires former committee member of Valeo

By Nam Hyun-woo

Hyundai Mobis Executive Vice President Axel Maschka / Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis

Hyundai Mobis said Sunday it has hired Axel Maschka to head its Global Sales Division, marking the first time for the auto component maker to employ a non-Korean as an executive outside its R&D department.

According to the Hyundai Motor Group unit, Maschka will serve as an executive vice president of the company directing the company's overseas sales. The German is the highest-ranking non-Korean executive the company has ever had, and will directly report to the CEO.

Maschka previously served as a senior vice president and an executive committee member at Valeo, a France-headquartered global automotive supplier.

Maschka has spent 30 years in the automotive industry after graduating from the University of Stuttgart as an electrical engineer.

He built his reputation as a sales specialist while working for various automakers and suppliers including, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch and Continental. He is known for contributing to Volvo Group's acquisition of Renault's commercial vehicle business and Continental's acquisition of automotive electronics firm Siemens VDO. He also served as a board member at CLEPA, the European Automotive Supplier Association.

Hyundai Mobis said it highly valued Maschka's outstanding management performance and his ability to understand global markets, and he will contribute to the company's expansion in the global auto component market.

“In his new role as head of global sales in Hyundai Mobis, Maschka will lead and expand the division to receive orders from European, North American, and Chinese automakers by taking advantage of the current transformation of the automobile industry towards connected autonomous and electric vehicles,” the company said in a statement. Hyundai Mobis is now world's seventh-largest parts supplier.

To improve its presence in the global market and increase sales to non-Hyundai Motor Group clients, Hyundai Mobis has been hiring non-Korean executives since 2016, employing sensor and autonomous driving tech experts at its North American and European research centers.

Currently, there are 14 non-Korean executives at Hyundai Mobis, and there are two non-Korean directors on its board.

Hyundai Mobis said they have contributed to the company making noticeable outcomes in both organic growth and collaborations with outside global partners, helping sales to grow outside the group.

According to Hyundai Mobis data, its components sales outside Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors first surpassed $1 billion in 2016 and reached $1.76 billion last year. From January to September this year, the company logged $1.28 billion in sales outside the group, accounting for 76 percent of its annual goal.