President & CEO of Hyundai Corporation Noh, Young Don is a diversified leader in trade and global business, serving customers worldwide for more than three decades with Hyundai Corporation.

Right after graduating as a B.A. in Public Administration from Yonsei University, Mr. Noh joined ‘Hyundai Business Group’ in 1977 through Hyundai Corporation’s first graduate recruitment program. Commencing his career at the Administration Department of the Operations Division, he embarked on a road to become a genuine ‘Sang Sa In (an international trade expert working in a general trading company)’. He then moved to the Overseas Natural Resources Department, and Import III Department where he was responsible for export and import service for steel and natural resources items. In 1980, he joined Hong Kong Branch and was in charge of the trading of steel, vessels, machinery and commodity items. While working there for four years, he become the branch representative and gained a wide spectrum of international business experience.

Returning to Korea in 1984, he served at the Steel Pipes Department and Steel I Department. In 1988, he was assigned to his second overseas post in LA Branch, U.S.A. During his four-year stay in the States, he was instrumental in boosting exports to the North American market. In 1993, coming back to Korea, he served as the team manager of the Hot Rolled Steel Team of the Steel Division. Posted again overseas in 1996 as the Representative of Singapore Branch, he headed the Branch where he could improve his expertise in various business fields ranging from steel, vessels, construction, plant, to machinery and commodity items to name a few. During his years at the Singapore Branch, he was promoted to the Director in 1998. With over 12 years of experience in various overseas branches and expertise gained during the course, he soon came to be recognized as the next generation of global leaders.

Mr. Noh’s thorough insight into investment and management was evidenced in the successful launching of Pos-Hyundai Steel Mfg Pvt. Ltd., Korea’s first overseas manufacturing investment in the steel industry. When Hyundai Motor Company started preparing for the establishment of its large manufacturing base in India, Mr. Noh, keen on the international market trend of the steel industry, sensed that the demand for steel plates for automobiles would soar. He immediately got down to business to launch the coil service center in India with POSCO, prior to the Japanese competitors. Displaying his capability to look ahead into the future, he initiated Pos-Hyundai and has been a driving force ever since behind the growth and development of the entity into an outstanding and promising steel processing center.

Since 2000, he headed the Steel Division and has successfully filled various posts such as Vice President, Senior Vice President, and Executive Vice President. In February, 2007, he was recommended as the new CEO by the Management Recommendation Committee, highly recognized for his international business expertise combined with over thirty years of overseas business experience as well as his distinguished management leadership. In March, at the regular Board of Directors’ Meeting, he was officially assigned as President & CEO of Hyundai Corporation. It was for the first time that CEO came from a member who joined the company through the graduate recruitment program.

In his inaugural speech, President Noh, Young Don stated that he will concentrate all the resources and efforts on strengthening the sales and marketing capability to make a greater company. In addition, he briefed the staff on some of his management policies such as ‘strict performance-based compensation’ and ‘work-oriented corporate culture’, and encouraged all the staff to arm themselves with ‘frontier spirit’ and prepare to venture into new markets. Mr. Noh is trying to bring new breeze into the company, emphasizing that “maximizing the corporate value is the top priority of the company “ and “to achieve the goal, all the staff should put their passion and wisdom together to render the company more competitive and attractive”.