8:06 am, February 22, 2023
Hyundai’s SangYup Lee has been voted the World Car Person of the Year after coming up with some of the most memorable designs of 2022.
Lee, executive vice president and head of Hyundai and Genesis’s global design centre saw off stiff competition to win the prize for the first time.
The judging panel, made up of 100 journalists from 32 countries, was impressed with his ‘significant impact’ on the global automotive industry in 2022.
The 53-year-old was the creative mind behind some of the most innovative concept and production cars unveiled throughout last year, including Hyundai’s Ioniq 6, Kona and N Vision 74.
It is the second year in a row that the prestigious gong has gone to a Hyundai employee, having last year been won by Luc Donckerwolke, president for design and chief creative officer at Hyundai Motor Group.
Reacting to his win, Lee said; ‘This honour is not the recognition of an individual but a testament to a shared collective passion for creativity encouraged by the dedication of Hyundai top management who set us high standards to achieve.
‘It is the unwavering diligence of the many talented people who contribute to making Hyundai Design what it is today.
‘Exceptional leadership presents us with thought-provoking challenges, and each design team member provides invaluable support to deliver successful results.
‘Hyundai is taking on many challenges, but this is just the beginning. We believe our greatest achievements lie ahead of us.’
The full shortlist of finalists for the award can be seen below:
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- Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD Co. Ltd
- Dr. Stella Clarke, research engineer open innovations, BMW Group
- SangYup Lee, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Group and head of Hyundai and Genesis global design centre
- Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors
- Naoyuki Sakamoto, chief engineer, GR Corolla, GAZOO Racing Company, Toyota Motor Corporation
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