Hyundai USA Fires CEO Dave Zuckowski For Not Meeting Sales Targets

Hyundai Motor America has fired CEO Dave Zuckowski with immediate effect, replacing him with General Councel Jerry Flannery who’s named interim CEO until a successor is chosen.

Zuckowski, who joined Hyundai as U.S. sales chief in 2007, was shown the exit after failing to meet internal sales objectives according to AutoNews.

“We appreciate Dave’s decade of service to Hyundai, especially his leadership as president and CEO, which has made us a stronger organization,” Flannery said in an official statement. “I look forward to working closely with our dealers, affiliates, senior management and our talented and hard-working employees across the country to realize Hyundai’s full potential.”

The company struggled to maintain its momentum its pace after falling gasoline prices led customers away from Hyundai’s small cars and towards to bigger crossovers and SUVs, areas where the company has little power and also faced supply shortages.

U.S. sales of Hyundai, including the Genesis brand, hit a record 761,710 units in 2015, a 5 percent increase over the previous year but the growth rates were down from the double-digit figures the company achieved in 2010 and 2011.

Hyundai Motor America said that they will begin immediately the search for Zuchowski’s successor.