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In December 2019, Markus Henne joined Genesis Motor after 12 years at Mercedes-Benz, taking the role of CEO of their new China unit with the mission to launch the brand in the huge but highly competitive Chinese auto market by the Spring of 2021. In the months leading up to the brand’s launch he, along with the brand’s Headquarters in South Korea, devised an all-new strategy and business model that would ensure Genesis would make a big splash upon entering the China market.
Markus proudly launched Genesis Motor China in April 2021 with a world-record-breaking drone show on the Shanghai riverfront and, a few weeks later, a full-house product launch at Shanghai Auto Show. By the end of November 2021, the first Genesis cars were being delivered to Chinese customers, the customer service network had been opened and the brand even managed to find time to open a Korean fine dining restaurant.
As CEO, Markus has proven himself to be a capable, forward-thinking, and compassionate leader who has used his years of experience to challenge industry norms by launching Genesis in China with a new vision of luxury. He has also had to think and act quickly - little did he know that just a few months after taking the reins that China (and the rest of the world) would be shaken up by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this adversity, which would disrupt global supply chains (Genesis’ cars are all imported from South Korea) and impact auto consumer spending habits, Markus kept the brand moving forward and towards its goals.
Markus built a team of multinational auto experts and partnered with top consulting firms to develop a unique business model and to help convince Genesis HQ to back his bold vision for the luxury segment. When it launched in 2021, Genesis was the only traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) brand to fully operate a direct-to-consumer business model in China.
As an innovator of industry, he has discarded with industry expectations: to this day, most incumbents rely on an outdated business model involving sometimes inconsistent and hard-to-monitor dealership networks where the buying of a car is purely transactional and the connection to the auto brand is inconsistent. Genesis, however, with the help of its CEO, strictly controls these areas, including with its own directly owned and operated Genesis Studios and the use of carefully-selected agents to set up Genesis Showcases (after-sales service centers) to ensure the quality and consistency of the Genesis brand could be maintained
Markus used his understanding of local consumers to position Genesis as not just a car brand but as a luxury brand that enables creative lifestyle experiences. This would be demonstrated to the public in a number of ways including through brand partnerships and engaging with a range of lifestyle and consumer media and influencers. Genesis became the official automotive partner of Shanghai Fashion Week in 2021 which resonated with the brand’s new vision of luxury and planted them firmly in the realm of art, design, and lifestyle.
Markus has always communicated the brand’s long-term commitment to the local market and the need to focus on the creation of a strong and unique brand image while introducing Genesis’ award-winning products to consumers and sharing the customer-centric Genesis Experience through its brand touchpoints. In just seven months from the brand’s launch, it had already launched four key products and hosted two world premieres, demonstrating how much Genesis could achieve with the right mindset and leadership.
Entering the competitive Chinese market with a latecomer brand and persisting with the launch schedule despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 underscore Markus’ determination and resilience as a leader. The milestones he has helped Genesis to achieve in this first period since the brand launched in April of 2021 will prove to be an excellent foundation that the brand, with his help, will be able to build upon for years to come.
Nomination Title: Markus Henne, CEO of Genesis Motor China
