Women take the wheel in Korea’s import car market leadership

Bang Sil, left, and Lynn Lim

Female leaders are making strides in South Korea’s import car market as they rely on their nuanced leadership to carefully read consumer trends and strategize for a market rebound.

On February 1, Bang Sil assumed the role of Managing Director at Stellantis Korea, making history as the first Korean and female leader in the position. Stellantis, born from the merger of Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot, and Citroën, is a global automotive group with brands like Jeep and Peugeot under its umbrella.

Bang, with over two decades of experience in the domestic automotive industry, brings a wealth of expertise from various fields such as public relations, marketing, and sales. She previously held executive positions at Renault Korea Motors and Volkswagen Korea.

Stellantis Korea faced challenges in the past year due to sustained sales decline, prompting the appointment of Bang as part of a strengthened localization strategy to foster a market resurgence.

“Priority lies in enhancing communication to garner understanding and empathy from Korean customers towards Stellantis brands like Jeep and Peugeot,” Bang told Maeil Business Newspaper. “I aim to approach diverse customer preferences with a more meticulous communication strategy.”

This trend of female leadership is not confined to Stellantis. In 2022, Audi Korea, a part of Volkswagen Group Korea, appointed Lynn Lim as its first Korean and female head.

Lim, who took office on July 1, is credited with contributing to Audi’s strategic localization efforts in the Korean premium car market.

Furthermore, other major players in the import car market in Korea are following suit. GM Korea recently created the position of chief strategy officer (CSO) and appointed chief marketing officer (CMO) Jung Jung-yoon to drive long-term growth and sustainability in the domestic market.

Mercedes-Benz Korea Kim Na-jung also witnessed a prominent female leader rise through the ranks, with Kim Na-jung being promoted to oversee the Network Development and Training Academy division in October 2023.

At Mercedes-Benz Korea, female leaders have also been prominent. In October last year, the German automaker’s Korean operation promoted Najung Kim, former head of the training academy, to the new position of executive vice president of network development and training academy.