Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest automaker, has recruited a top designer of Britain-based luxury carmaker Bentley Motors as a part of its effort to enhance luxury brand power.

The South Korean conglomerate that owns Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. said on Monday that Lee Sang-yup, Bentley’s head of exterior and advanced design, will work as director at Hyundai Motor starting next month and take charge of car styling at Hyundai Design Center.

Lee will report to Luc Donckerwolke, former Volkswagen Group designer who joined Hyundai Motor last year as global head of design, and take on the role of developing a design strategy and direction for Hyundai Motor and its Genesis premium car brand.

Lee will also be in charge of overall design of Hyundai Motor and Genesis brand vehicles including internal and external design, color, and material.

Lee, who studied sculpture at Hongik University and car design at the Art Center College of Design in California, is a star designer that has made appearance in the global auto industry.

He has worked for Italian design company Carrozzeria Pininfarina that is well known for its Ferrari design, and also at Germany-based Porsche Design Center. In 1999, he joined General Motors as lead designer and played a major role in designing concept cars including Camaro and Corvette Stingray. From 2010, he was in charge of advanced design for a number Volkswagen Group’s vehicle brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Skoda Auto, before joining Bentley in 2012.

He worked with Hyundai Motor’s Donckerwolke to design Bentley Flying Spur, Continental GT, Bentayga, and EXP 10 Speed 6.

Lee said that he wishes to contribute to make Genesis brand join the ranks of premium league.

Hyundai Motor Group, meanwhile, has been recruiting many global designers since it brought in Peter Schreyer, president and global chief of design. In 2014, the conglomerate invited former BMW designer Albert Biermann to work as its vice president while last year, it recruited Donckerwolke and former Lamborghini executive Manfred Fitzgerald to oversee the global strategy for its luxury Genesis car brand.

By Noh Won-myung

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