Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific (HMAP) has appointed Thai national Yukontorn “Vickie” Wisadkosin as the new Hyundai ASEAN President. The Korean automaker said that she will lead Hyundai’s integrated ASEAN operations across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Wisadkosin will report directly to Don Romano, the newly appointed HMAP President.
Wisadkosin is expected to translate the car brand’s Asia Pacific Headquarters’ strategy into coordinated regional action, which aims to drive strategic integration, strengthen regional alignment, and support sustainable, long-term growth across ASEAN.
“Vickie’s regional expertise, leadership capability, and deep understanding of ASEAN markets make her exceptionally well-suited to lead Hyundai’s next phase of growth in the region. Her appointment also reflects our commitment to strengthening global female leadership within Hyundai,” said HMAP President Don Romano.
Wisadkosin is no stranger to the ASEAN region, as she was Ford’s ASEAN Markets and Asia Pacific Distributor Markets President before joining Hyundai. She brings over two decades of senior leadership across the automotive and consumer sectors, including multi-country expansion and delivering sustained growth across highly competitive markets in the region.
She is also the first Thai executive to have led Ford’s ASEAN operation, and was appointed Ford ASEAN President back in 2017. Wisadkosin joined Ford Thailand in 2012 as the Vice President for Marketing, Sales, and Service.
Then, in 2013, she was promoted to Ford Thailand’s Managing Director. Wisadkosin helped Ford’s sales performance in Thailand as its market share has increased from 3.8 percent in 2013 to 5.3 percent in 2016, according to a report by Bangkok Post.
Now that she is part of Hyundai, Wisadkosin expressed her excitement about working with the Korean car brand’s teams across ASEAN.
“I am honored to join Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific and excited to work with teams across ASEAN. Together, we will build stronger regional alignment, accelerate transformation, and deliver long-term value for our customers and partners,” said Wisadkosin.
Hyundai shared that this appointment reinforces HMAP’s commitment to building a more integrated, agile, and future-ready ASEAN organization, positioning Hyundai for sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness in the region.
Autocar’s Take
Hyundai is making strategic moves to improve its business further in the ASEAN region. The appointment of Yukontorn “Vickie” Wisadkosin makes sense since she has over two decades of experience and a senior leadership role while she was with Ford Motor Company.
During her time with Ford, Wisadkosin helped increase Ford’s market share in Thailand from 3.8 percent in 2013 to 5.3 percent in 2016. Hyundai will benefit from her leadership strategy in further strengthening its presence in ASEAN. The timing of Wisadkosin’s appointment as Hyundai ASEAN President is also perfect, as March is the official Women’s Month.
