Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise and BMW Korea CEO Han Sang-yoon won the 2024 Car Person of the Year awards from the Korea Automobile Journalists Association on Thursday.

In the four award categories, Deblaise received the Industrial Innovation award, while Han was honored with the Industrial Contribution award.

According to KAJA, Deblaise has played a crucial role in revitalizing the French auto giant’s Korean operations since his appointment in 2022. Deblaise, a former automotive engineer, spearheaded the Korean unit’s Aurora Project, including three new hybrid and electric vehicles. The Grand Koleos, the first model launched in September, is also on a smooth ride to sell more than 10,000 units as of December.

Deblaise has hinted at a new investment plan worth 1.5 trillion won ($1.03 billion) by 2027, positioning its Busan plant as Renault’s key production and export hub for midsize and large vehicles.

In the meantime, BMW’s Han was acknowledged for his over 30 years of dedication to expanding Korea’s imported car market. “As the first Korean to lead an overseas branch (BMW Malaysia in 2015) and serving as BMW Korea CEO (since 2019), he has actively contributed to the growth of the automotive industry,” stated KAJA. “His efforts have notably expanded the EV infrastructure and bridged Korean companies’ ventures into global markets.”

Other winners of the award included Hwang Kwan-sik, executive director of public relations at Hyundai Motor Group, and Moon Ji-hee, general manager at Welcome Associates, the Korean public relations agency for the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.