A native of the Los Angeles area, Ewanick gained attention at Hyundai following the 2008 financial crisis. He helped devise a "Hyundai Assurance" program, an offer in which the company would buy back new vehicles in the event a consumer lost his or her job,. Though the program didn't cost much, it helped Hyundai dealers in the U.S. close deals, resulting in more market share for the South Korean automaker.