Derrick Hatami, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of sales, has stepped down, leaving a leadership vacuum in the South Korean carmaker’s US operation.

This came six months after Hatami’s former boss, Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, resigned amid rumors that the carmaker was holding him responsible for stalled sales growth in the US market.

According to local reports, Hatami was “dismissed” due to Hyundai’s declining sales, but officials from the carmaker’s Seoul office said he was departing the firm “voluntarily.”

Hatami first joined Hyundai in 2005 and left for Nissan in 2014. A year later he returned as the vice president.

Hyundai’s southern regional general manager, Sam Brnovich, will hold an interim leadership in sales, Hyundai said.

Hyundai sold a total of 60,011 units including Genesis vehicles in May, a 15.4 percent decrease from a year ago. In the first five months of 2017, the carmaker’s US operation saw a 4.8 percent decrease in sales on-year.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)