2021 ALL STAR | PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
OLABISI BOYLE
Vice president of product planning and mobility strategy, Hyundai Motor North America
Talk with Hyundai dealers and they’ll say that new and redesigned products developed by the automaker, especially those tailored for the U.S. market, are a big reason that sales have remained strong in good times and bad.
Olabisi Boyle has been at the forefront of those product introductions during her 16 months on the job at Hyundai. And there’s a lot more to come, including a series of electric vehicles in a one-a-year cadence from the Ioniq subbrand.
Three major vehicle introductions this year have put Hyundai’s U.S. team and Alabama factory in the spotlight. The products are focused on U.S. buyers, and Boyle, 54, had a major hand in all.
The biggest is the new generation of the compact Tucson crossover, which comes in a larger size for America. Hyundai moved production of the Tucson, its bestseller, to Alabama from South Korea as part of an effort to localize key products.
Boyle also worked on a model developed for U.S. tastes and one that’s a major departure for Hyundai: the Santa Cruz small pickup. It was designed in California and developed for assembly in Alabama alongside the Tucson.
The Elantra sedan built on the same assembly line was also fully redesigned and now comes in ?hybrid and track-ready versions to address the brand’s green credentials and sporting pretensions.
Boyle also leads Hyundai’s U.S. mobility strategy to position the brand as a leader in future technology innovations. She has worked to form a partnership with Electrify America on EV charging and an agreement with Shell for hydrogen infrastructure development.