Hyundai Motor Group's Luc Donckerwolke named World Car Person of the Year 2022

Kia Corporation’s parent company, Hyundai Motor Group (the Group), is proud to announce that the World Car Awards jury panel has named Luc Donckerwolke, the Group’s executive vice president for design and chief creative officer (CCO), its 2022 World Car Person of the Year.

Luc Donckerwolke

The accolade recognises automotive industry professionals who have made a significant impact with their contributions in the year leading up to the award. The World Car Awards jury members representing 102 journalists from 33 countries cited Donckerwolke’s role overseeing innovative new models, including Kia’s EV6, as the principal reason for honouring him this year.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Person of the Year award and would like to thank all of the jury members and the valued team at Hyundai Motor Group, without whom this would not have been possible,” Donckerwolke said.

“I have worked for many companies and brands over my career and I’m delighted at the recognition [our brands have received]. It is a true reflection of the effort of all of the Group employees, retailers and partners who have worked steadfastly to develop a strong line-up of compelling and relevant vehicles on sale in over 200 countries worldwide,” he added.

The World Car jury also recognised Kia models in various award categories. The EV6 made the top five in 2022 World Car Design and the top 10 in 2022 World Car of the Year. Across the Kia, Hyundai and Genesis brands, the Group received more recognition than any other automaker on the list.

Donckerwolke’s 30-year career as an automotive designer has enabled him to gain worldwide experience working for many prestigious brands, including Bentley, Lamborghini and Audi. He joined the Group in 2016 and succeeded Peter Schreyer as CCO in 2017. A passionate automotive aficionado and collector, Donckerwolke also takes great pride in his multi-cultural background and speaks eight languages.

The World Car Person of the Year award is part of the annual World Car Awards, which officially launched in January 2004. The award aims to recognise, reward and inspire excellence, leadership and innovation in the automotive industry. Past winners have included Akio Toyoda (2021), Carlos Tavares (2020), Sergio Marchionne (2019) and Håkan Samuelsson (2018).