Hyundai Motor Co. named Jose Munoz as chief executive officer, making him the first foreigner to lead the South Korean automaker as it seeks to grow outside its home country.

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

The 59-year-old has a PhD in nuclear engineering and over two decades of experience in the automobile industry