Erwin Raphael is the Chief Cost Optimization Officer of Hyundai Motor North America. Raphael is responsible for leading a cross-affiliate group, the North American Cost Optimization Committee, which was created to streamline Hyundai’s operations throughout the Americas Region (Canada, USA, Mexico, and Brazil). The committee’s scope of work includes benchmarking and implementing best practices for localization, supplier assessments, cost optimization and analysis among many other business initiatives to improve efficiency across these companies. Raphael was named CCOO in March 2020 after 10 years of increasing responsibility, including his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer of Genesis Motor America.