Michelin has appointed Michelle Zhu as Managing Director of Michelin Korea, marking the first female leadership of the Seoul-based unit since its establishment in 1991. Zhu succeeds Jérôme Vincon, who is moving to a new leadership role with Michelin in Japan. The company points to premium-market growth and closer customer engagement as immediate priorities under the new chief.
Maeil Business Newspaper reported the 1 October appointment, noting Zhu’s remit to oversee all Korean operations and expand premium sales channels. The company framed the move as part of a broader push for diversity and inclusion in regional leadership.
Michelin’s brand strength and sustainability posture remain central to its regional growth story. Recent Tyre News coverage showed Michelin named the world’s most valuable and strongest tyre brand in 2025, reinforcing premium positioning that aligns with Zhu’s stated channel-expansion focus.
Industry sources in Korea have highlighted the company’s push on retail and service visibility (including the Tyremore franchise model) alongside OE and replacement demand recovery. Zhu’s arrival signals continuity, with Vincon pictured leading Michelin Korea activities as recently as February 2025.
Zhu is a Michelin Group executive and part of the East Asia & Australia regional leadership. Her experience spans European innovation roles and Asia–Pacific commercial leadership, with earlier stints at Saint-Gobain and Orange’s APAC consulting arm. She studied at Fudan University, ESCP Paris and INSEAD.
“Korea is a key market for innovation in the global automobile and mobility industries,” Zhu said, adding that she intends to pursue “a strategic balance of people, performance and environment” in line with Michelin’s ‘All-Sustainable’ approach. The group’s framework balances People, Profit and Planet to 2030.
Tyre News has also reported on Michelin’s EU-aligned sustainability reporting, underscoring disclosure rigour that matters to fleet buyers and procurement teams in Korea’s premium segment.
The appointment follows a period of heightened innovation and brand activity, from energy-saving ranges for EVs and fleets to programme work in advanced materials. These themes shape demand and positioning in Korea’s premium passenger and light commercial segments.
Tagged with: Michelin Korea, leadership change, Michelle Zhu, premium tyres, Korean tyre market, sales channels, sustainability strategy, All-Sustainable vision, original equipment fitments, tyre retail
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