Hyundai Motor Group appoints its new Chief Know-how Officer
Hyundai Motor Group announced the appointment of Ben Diachun as Chief Technology Officer of the Urban Air Mobility Division
Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced the appointment of Ben Diachun as Chief Technology Officer of the Urban Air Mobility Division (the Division) effective immediately.
Diachun will report to Jaiwon Shin, President of Hyundai Motor Group and Head of Urban Air Mobility Division, and develop the division’s technology strategy and vision with the aim of bringing Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to market by 2028.
“We are pleased to welcome Ben to the Hyundai Motor Group as chief technology officer of our Urban Air Mobility Division,” said President Shin. “His track record of building breakthrough aircraft and agile, collaborative and diverse teams is critical to our mission to create the best, most innovative design for our UAM vehicle.”
Diachun will work closely with other members of the department’s leadership team to ensure that the UAM industry – from technology to surrounding policies, infrastructure and operations – is inclusive, accessible and seamless with existing mobility infrastructure and across a wide range of communities is integrated.
“I have been fascinated by technology and air travel since I was a child, and I am delighted to be able to contribute my experience to the Urban Air Mobility Division,” said Diachun. “With an incredibly talented team and the manufacturing expertise of the Hyundai Motor Group, we are well positioned to transform the human travel experience. It is an honor to join this group and I am excited to see what we will achieve together. “
Diachun brings 20 years of engineering and leadership experience to the division. Most recently, he was CEO and President of Opener, an aerospace startup in Palo Alto, California. He was also President of Scaled Composites, LLC, an aerospace company known for developing revolutionary new aircraft and spacecraft in Mojave, California. At Scaled Composites, Diachun also held senior technology roles before becoming president.
During his career, Diachun helped develop 16 groundbreaking aerospace vehicles, including SpaceShipOne, the first commercial manned spacecraft, and BlackFly, an electric personal aircraft.
Diachun earned a master’s degree in aerospace from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Experimental Aircraft Association and an industry advisor to the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University.
