On June 16, General Motors (GM) announced the appointment of a new president for its South Korean subsidiary, Korea GM Co., which is responsible for production and sales.
Amine Ould Abbes, GM’s Vice President and Head of International Operations, declared that Hector Villarreal, currently the Vice President for Sales, Service, and Marketing for GM Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Region, would succeed retiring Roberto Rempel as the new President and CEO of Korea GM, effective August 1.
“Roberto has successfully led the management normalization and growth momentum in the domestic market, establishing a sustainable future for our transformative journey in Korea,” said Abbes. “We appreciate Roberto’s leadership, commitment, and contributions to GM over the years.”
Roberto Rempel also expressed his honor in leading Korea’s operations, stating, “It has been a privilege to manage such a critical component of GM’s global business strategy, and I am confident in Korea’s bright future based on the solid foundation we have built together.”
Abbes stated that Villarreal brings rich global leadership experience, having spearheaded sales and growth based on multi-brand strategy development at GM Mexico. This expertise will be an asset in advancing Korea’s export business and market share growth. He noted Villarreal’s deep understanding of the Korean market, having served as Vice President of Planning and Program Management at GM Korea from 2012 for several years.
He further emphasized that Villarreal will accelerate the transition of the Korean business towards profitable growth, building on the significant progress achieved under Rempel’s leadership. Abbes expressed his confidence that Villarreal will enhance market positioning through well-established brand strategies, continuous optimization of the sales network, improved customer experiences, and maximizing production volumes of global products.
Villarreal, who expressed his honor in leading GM’s Korean operations during this pivotal business transformation, stated, “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a talented team. The Korean team has shown remarkable progress in pivoting the business amid the pandemic and uncertainties in the global automotive industry.”
He noted that the recent success of the Chevrolet Trax crossover has become a global benchmark for GM and expressed confidence in continuing this success by unveiling new chapters for the Korean business.
In closing, Villarreal remarked, “GM has embarked on a journey to re-establish its brand as a true American brand in Korea, and we will accelerate this journey in collaboration with our Korean customers.”
Villarreal’s career at GM began in 1990 as a production project engineer at GM Mexico’s Ramos Arizpe plant. He has since held various roles including industrial engineering manager and vehicle line executive in Mexico and the U.S. In 2008, he was appointed as an executive in the planning and program management division in GM Mexico and became a member of the Executive Committee (EC).
He joined GM Korea’s planning and program management division as Vice President in 2012 and subsequently served as President of GM Uzbekistan in 2015 and Chief Executive of GM Russia in 2017. In July 2019, he became the President of GM Southeast Asia, and he has been leading sales strategies for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac across the region since September 2020. He also oversees the dealership network across 14 countries in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Villarreal holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the same university.
By Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr