Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. has announced the appointment of Donald Romano to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Romano has been involved with the auto industry for 29 years through increasingly senior positions in Canada, the U.S., and overseas with the Nissan, Mazda, and Toyota brands. The new position of COO underlines Hyundai Auto Canada’s recent growth in the market and is a demonstration of the automaker’s intent to invest in key talent to fuel further development.
In his new role, Romano’s key responsibilities will be sales, marketing, parts, service, product and strategic planning, and public relations. He will report to Steve Kelleher, President and CEO.
“I’m truly looking forward to becoming a member of the team at Hyundai,” said Romano. “Through the course of my career I have watched with great interest as Hyundai has grown to become a dominant player, both in Canada and around the world. Hyundai is a fierce competitor with world-class products, so it’s a real honour for me to become a part of this great, fast-paced, well-respected organization.”
“I’m delighted that Don has agreed to join us at Hyundai and I’m eager to work with him to grow our business,” said Steve Kelleher. “Sales of Hyundai vehicles have doubled in the last 10 years, and our employee headcount has grown by 54 per cent over the same time period. Effectively, we’ve grown to the point where we need additional C-level leadership. As I look to the future of our company, and the amazing new products that will be coming with it, Don has the opportunity to shape and nurture the Hyundai organization as it enters the next phase of its development.”
