Hyundai's Sangyup Lee is 2023 World Car Person of the Year

Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center Head Sangyup Lee was named the 2023 World Car Person of the Year by the prestigious automotive institution, World Car Awards.

Lee was chosen by the World Car Awards jury panel, which consists of 100 journalists from 32 countries. The other nominees were BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu, BMW Group Open Innovations Research Engineer Dr. Stella Clarke, Lucid Motors Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer Peter Rawlinson, and Toyota Motor Corporation Gazoo Racing Company GR Corolla Chief Engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto.

Per World Car Awards, Lee won the vote of the jury thanks to his “strong design philosophy, vision, and leadership,” which according to the organization, were “ instrumental in shaping Hyundai’s new design language, as demonstrated by the brand’s recent successes.”

Lee is the creative mind behind some of the South Korean marque’s stunning and innovative concept and production cars in 2022. The vehicles Lee was involved in include the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the all-new Hyundai Kona, and the Hyundai N Vision 74.

“This honor 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,” commented Lee.

Lee was the second person from Hyundai to have won the award. In 2022, World Car Awards named Hyundai Motor Group Chief Creative Officer and President for Design Luc Donckerwolke World Car Person of the Year.

Photos from Hyundai

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