Hankook hires ex-Michelin exec Curtis Brison as US sales VP

Nashville, Tennessee – Hankook Tire America Corp. has hired former Michelin North America Inc. sales executive Curtis Brison to be its vice president of sales, US passenger and light truck tires.

Brison brings 14-plus years of tire and automotive sector knowledge and expertise to his new role, Hankook said. Most recently he was vice president of sales and marketing for Exide Technologies Inc.'s Transportation Americas group.

From 2006 to 2016 he held a variety of key sales positions with Michelin, both in the US and in France.

Brison will be taking over responsibilities previously handled by Yong Sup Jung, senior vice president and chief operating officer. 

Hankook Tire America President Sooil Lee lauded Brison for his "strong background in sales combined with his forward-thinking customer-facing approach," characteristics that should prove valuable in helping Hankook achieve its "challenging targets for the year ahead."

"The US market is critical to our global business strategy and our investment in-market only continues to grow," Lee said.

"I am thrilled to be leading Hankook Tire's (passenger/light truck tire) sales strategy for the US market," Brison said.

"Hankook is at the forefront of technological innovation in the tire industry and I am pleased to have to opportunity to contribute to its continued growth in the American market."

The Americas region represented 24% of Hankook Tire & Technology Corp.'s fiscal 2019 global sales of $5.89 billion (€5.3 billion).