Hyundai Australia appoints auto veteran Don Romano as CEO
Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has announced the appointment of Don Romano as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 10 March 2025. In addition to leading HMCA, Romano will serve as an Advisor for Hyundai Motor Asia & Pacific Region. He succeeds Ted Lee, who after a successful three-year tenure, will remain in Australia in an Executive Support role as Chief Executive Coordinator (CEC) for HMCA.
Romano brings with him four decades of experience in the automotive industry, having most recently served as President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada (HAC) for the past ten years. Under his leadership, Hyundai Canada experienced record growth, solidifying its position as the country’s second-largest import brand and the fourth-largest automotive brand overall. During his tenure, HAC expanded its dealer network to 226 Hyundai dealerships and 31 Genesis distributors while also becoming Canada’s largest mainstream seller of electric vehicles.
Among his notable achievements at Hyundai Canada, Romano oversaw the retailing of 1.38 million Hyundai and Genesis vehicles since joining in 2014, an all-time sales record of 138,755 vehicles in 2024, and an increase in Hyundai's market share from 7.3% to 8.2%. He also played a pivotal role in launching the Genesis luxury brand in Canada in 2016, implementing a groundbreaking agency model that has since expanded to 31 distributors nationwide. The Genesis brand, under his leadership, saw continuous growth, culminating in a record-breaking year in 2024 with over 7,000 units sold.
Beyond business performance, Romano is recognized for his commitment to fostering an inclusive corporate culture and driving strong employee engagement. He has received numerous industry accolades, including the North American Champion for Diversity award, the Automotive All Star for Process Architecture award, and the Canada Black Book’s Industry Icon Award. In addition, he was honoured with the Women’s Executive Network Alliance Ally of Excellence Award, reflecting his dedication to diversity and inclusion. Under his leadership, Hyundai Auto Canada was named one of the Top 50 Best Workplaces™ in Canada for seven consecutive years by the Great Place to Work™ Institute.
Commenting on his new role, Romano expressed enthusiasm for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. “It is an honour to join Hyundai and Genesis in Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region,” he said. “With 74 competitor brands—expected to rise to 80 within the next 12 months—Australia is one of the most challenging automotive markets on earth. I look forward to working with the HMCA team to promote our world-beating products and to exceed customer expectations at every touchpoint.”
As Romano steps into his new position, industry stakeholders will be watching closely to see how his leadership shapes Hyundai’s trajectory in Australia’s dynamic automotive market.