The man behind Genesis

The global CEO of Genesis Motors knows a surprising amount about Australia.

Manfred Fitzgerald talks about the streetscape of The Rocks, discusses the culinary contrasts between Melbourne and Sydney, even understands the types of cars that resonate in Australia.

He got this knowledge of the land Down Under the hard way, flying three times to Australia and then pounding the streets, talking to people, listening, learning the lay of the land, and working to understand.

“I really like Australia. Sydney is very beautiful, down by the harbour. Melbourne is a very different city, quite a contrast,” Fitzgerald told carsales.com.au.

This is not a traditional approach for a car company CEO, getting down on the ground to gather first-hand intelligence, but Fitzgerald is anything but traditional.

The 50-something American works in South Korea but has homes in Italy and Ibiza, grew up with an American military background but is multi-lingual and worldly, spent 12 years at Lamborghini but took a six-year sabbatical from the car industry, leads from the front but takes good advice anywhere he can get it, and is establishing an all-new luxury brand but is learning from the past.

“Does the world need another luxury brand? It depends what we have to offer,” Fitzgerald says of Genesis, which has been spun up and out from Hyundai.

“What we have set out to do is definitely not follow the path of other manufacturers. That's not going to work for us.

“We have shown what our philosophy is, what transportation can look like. Cars can be sexy. Cars can really be desirable. And we see our obligation to bring back the fascination.”

Fitzgerald is fit and focussed, sharp and incisive, good fun but equally hard-nosed about business.

When he talks about Brand Genesis he uses four keywords to describe the all-new luxury brand, which is backed by the juggernaut called Hyundai but is still the first serious luxury entrant since Lexus and Infiniti in 1989.

The words are audacious, progressive and distinctly Korean.

It’s an interesting combination, but not really reflected in the large ‘Hyundai Genesis’ sedan that introduced Australians to the Korean premium brand in 2016.

That car was good and good value, but hardly the flagship for an all-new luxury brand -- although it will be, in facelifted and renamed G80 form.

That’s why Fitzgerald prefers to talk about the sleek Essentia concept car created by the chief designer at Genesis and his former colleague at Lamborghini, Luc Donckerwolke. It’s a window on the future and a statement of intent.

“I’m a true believer that people buy brands, not products. It’s just more than concentrating on the product itself,” he says.

“We believe this is the essence of design. This has the task of creating fascination. You can only do that by delivering special products. They have to resonate with people. The aesthetics have to grab you.”

When Fitzgerald was running Lamborghini he took a similar approach, trying to move the Italian brand into a position where it could genuinely challenge Ferrari. He and Donckerwolke did good work, but Genesis is something very different.

“We are painting each and every day. We are filling the pages of a new book,” says Fitzgerald.

“We have new opportunities. We don’t have the ballast there, of having a large history behind us.”

He also has a broad brush and a free hand, after being recruited by the vice-chairman of Hyundai to lead Genesis.

“This is the most challenging adventure the company has engaged in. But it’s a very logical step.

“I think it’s a compliment to the 'other company' that they have understood that the premium luxury segment is the most challenging of all. They know they need extra expertise.

“We want to become relevant. Have products that are desirable. I see it as the start of something new and very promising.”

Fitzgerald is obviously going to be talking-up his brand and his vision, but it’s hard not to get drawn in.

He is charismatic, he has a proven track record and he is making things happen.

For a start, he says there is nothing Hyundai about the next-generation of Genesis models, apart from their South Korean heritage and the factory where they will be built.

He has personally been down the production line -- the hands-on approach again -- to ensure the quality is right in every area.

He is also driving the design story with Donckerwolke, pushing hard for a pair of SUVs from 2019, talking about the production potential for a battery-powered production version of the Essentia, and even the use of a black-and-copper colour theme for everything about the brand.

“There is such an enthusiasm about this brand. You are planting a seed for the future,” he says.

“This is a young brand. We’re young but we know where we are going.

“You would be wrong to launch a brand and focus on one target group. We don’t do that.”

Looking to Australia, with the Genesis launch now set for about March 2019 with the mid-size G70 and updated G80 large sedan, Fitzgerald’s local experience shines through.

He knows what he wants, he knows how to get it, and he is closely monitoring both the set-up of the three factory stories in pedestrian malls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and the overall expectations.

“We’re not rushing this. We believe we should grow organically. We will take it step-by step. It will be a very cautious approach, very thoughtful,” he says.

“We want to bring this brand to the customer, rather than have them looking for us. We’re making a point there.”

That’s why there will only be three stores, no traditional dealerships and everything owned by Genesis.

“We’re going more for the direct model. We don’t follow the classic dealer model. We want to own the whole value chain.

“We don’t want to be tied to a third party. We want to control the message.

“We’re doing the same model in other places. In Europe and China as well.”

So Australia is an experiment for Brand Genesis, but Fitzgerald is already set for his fourth trip Down Under for the local launch and is fired up about what is coming down the road.

“We're living in fascinating times right now. It’s not so clear-cut any more. What we are also about is delivering fascination,” Fitzgerald says.