Hyundai Motor has announced that the company has appointed BMW M veteran, Albert Biermann (pictured below), as the firm's new Head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development division. Biermann joins the Korean carmaker as it ramps up development of models that are more performance-oriented.
"Mr. Biermann has unrivalled credentials in this field and his expertise and experience will help us bring forward the development of new Hyundai and Kia cars that are great to drive," said Woong Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Company.
With over 30 years of experience in developing high-performance BMW M models, Biermann will leave behind his current position as vice president of engineering at BMW M Automobiles and BMW Individual to take up his new responsibility in Seoul come April 2015. Biermann first joined BMW in 1983.
Apart from heading the development of future performance Hyundai and Kia models, Biermann is also responsible for supervising projects related to improving the ride, handling, safety, reliability and NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness) standards of current models across the range.
Upon his appointment, Biermann stated that "it (Hyundai) is a company I have watched closely as it has taken on its key competitors and quickly established a strong customer base in Europe. 2015 is a key year for the brand with the launch of many all-new models and the start of its second season in WRC, so I am really looking forward to the challenge."
Besides honing the next wave of performance models, Biermann will also serve as an advisor on product and marketing strategy for the European market. His appointment makes him the second-highest foreign executive to be hired after design chief Peter Schreyer was poached from Audi AG in the mid-2000s.
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