Donor profile

James (Joonsu) Cho ’90 came to Messiah in the late 1980s and graduated in 1990. After leaving Messiah, he returned to Korea and eventually began working for the Hyundai Motor Company in 1992. Hyundai is the parent company of Kia, which sent him to Michigan State to earn his MBA. He would later spend two years as head of the Kia Western Europe support team, and before that he spent six years as chief executive coordinator for Kia United Kingdom. He became CEO of Kia Australia in 2018. 

When reflecting on why he has supported Messiah, he said, “I have given to Messiah because Messiah already gave me so much. I met Jesus, formed the value standard for making decisions as a Christian and learned to live as a believer while I was in Messiah. I believe Messiah’s role in this world is crucial, for it prepares the servants of Christ and they make changes. I gave because I want to be a part of it.”

In additional to financial support, Cho has invested in his alma mater by meeting with students over Zoom calls and is also serving on President Phipps’ Executive Leadership Roundtable. We are deeply grateful for alumni who are willing to support current students as a way to thank Messiah University for its impact on their lives.