NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hankook Tire & Technology has promoted Rob Williams president of Hankook Tire America Corp.; he previously served as senior vice president, North America sales.
The Korean tire maker also promoted Jong Jin (JJ) Park to vice president of USA PC/LT sales; Intae (Ted) Choi to vice president of North American marketing strategy; and Byoungjoe (Joe) Park to vice president of corporate management.
"We are committed to the U.S. and Canada markets, and Rob, JJ and Ted have all contributed greatly to our growth in the region," Sooil Lee, CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology, said.
"Rob is a strong and versatile leader with expertise across many segments in the tire industry. JJ's success in marketing strategy will be key to further success in our sales organization. Ted's knowledge of our products will prove essential to our marketing efforts. Joe brings a strong audit and accounting background to the team. As we accelerate our global business strategy, we look forward to seeing the positive impact they have in the years ahead."
As president, Williams will oversee the U.S. and Canada regions and will lead four departments and direct teams, including the Tennessee plant and TBR sales department, a role he's held since joining Hankook in January 2019.
In June 2022, Williams was appointed senior vice president of commercial and consumer sales for Hankook Tire America, adding leadership in consumer products to his existing oversight of commercial replacement and OE product sales and related services.
"This is an exciting time for Hankook in the U.S. and Canadian markets as we continue to drive innovation across our passenger and commercial tire portfolios," Williams said. "2022 has been a landmark year for Hankook in the U.S., with the announcement of further investment in our Tennessee plant and the launch of iON, Hankook's electric vehicle tire line. I am proud to continue to work with our teams to deliver performance, innovation and quality to driver and our partners, and look forward to the future as we continue to demonstrate the value of the Hankook brand."
JJ Park will oversee sales innovation, corporate sales, as well as the North, South, and West Regional USA PC/LT sales teams. Previously, he served as vice president of marketing and U.S. sales innovation director for Hankook Tire America. Park joined Hankook Tire in 2004 and has experience across the American and United Kingdom regions.
Choi will be responsible for marketing strategy, TBR marketing, technical services, Canada sales, as well as supply chain and logistics operations. He will continue his role as vice president of Tennessee plant management support. Choi has previously held executive positions with Hankook, including vice president of its Australia subsidiary, vice president of GAIA Project, and corporate strategy and innovation team manager.
Byoungjoe Park will oversee finance, accounting, tax and internal audit functions for Hankook Tire America as well as for Hankook Tire's Canadian subsidiary. Most recently, he served as Tennessee plant corporate management team manager. He also held leadership positions at Hankook's global headquarters on its internal audit and accounting teams.
