Don Romano Named President & CEO for Hyundai Motor Asia & Pacific Region
Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Don Romano as President and Chief Executive Officer of HMCA and Advisor for Hyundai Motor Asia & Pacific Region, effective today, 10 March 2025.
A 40-year veteran of the automotive industry Romano, who previously served as President and CEO for Hyundai Auto Canada, will replace current HMCA CEO Ted Lee, who after a successful three-year tenure will remain in Australia in an Executive Support role as HMCA CEC (Chief Executive Coordinator).
Overseeing both the Hyundai and Genesis brands, Romano joins the Australian operation after a highly successful ten-year term as President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada (HAC), where he oversaw a period of record growth.
HAC is the country’s second-largest import brand and fourth-largest automotive brand overall, with a network of 226 Hyundai Dealers and 31 Genesis distributors nationwide. It is also Canada’s largest mainstream seller of electric vehicles.
Balancing a customer-first mindset and unwavering commitment to Hyundai Canada’s dealer network, the company thrived under Romano’s leadership, resulting in a significant list of accomplishments:
- 1.38 million Hyundai and Genesis vehicles retailed since joining Hyundai Canada in January 2014
- All-time annual sales record in 2024 of 138,755, with Hyundai Auto Canada becoming the second-largest import company in Canada for the past three years
- Market share growth for Hyundai in Canada from 7.3 percent to 8.2 per cent
- Successfully launched the Genesis luxury brand in 2016 and its groundbreaking agency model in Canada, which is now comprised of 31 Distributors
- Seven consecutive years of sales growth for Genesis since its inception, finishing with its best-ever year in 2024 with over 7,000 vehicles sold.
Romano champions several initiatives with a focus on developing a fair and inclusive corporate culture and strong employee engagement. He has won many awards, including North American Champion for Diversity and Automotive All Star for Process Architecture, and last year was honoured with Canada Black Book’s Industry Icon Award as well as a Women’s Executive Network Alliance Ally of Excellence Award.
HAC has been recognised as one of the Top 50 Best Workplaces™ in Canada for the last seven consecutive years by the Great Place to Work™ Institute.
“It is an honour to join Hyundai and Genesis in Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region,” said Mr. Romano.
“With 74 competitor brands - expected to rise to 80 within the next 12 months - Australia is one of the most challenging automotive markets on earth. I look forward to working with the HMCA team to promote our world-beating products and to exceed customer expectations at every touchpoint.”
