NEW KIA COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR APPOINTED FOLLOWING SALES RESTRUCTURE
10 December 2005 - Kia

Kia Motors is restructuring its sales, supply and planning operations following the departure of Howard Slade, Sales Director after four and a half years with the brand.

As the UK arm of the Korean manufacturer heads towards another record sales year - it passed the 2004 record of 33,000 units in September - the brand is setting in place new processes to help it achieve its 2010 volume target of 100,000 units.

At the same time the company announces that Alex Smith has been appointed Commercial Director to take on responsibility for the new structure at a strategic level.

Slade, 44, joined Kia in July 2001, a year before the UK operation came under direct factory control. Originally Franchising Manager he set in place a programme to rapidly expand and develop Kia''s UK network that numbered just 90 at the time - currently Kia''s dealer network stands at 165.

He became head of Dealer Operations in 2002 and after helping the brand achieve successive sales records as the company''s volume grew from fewer than 12,000 units he was appointed Sales Director in January of this year.

Alex Smith, 31, joined Kia in December 2003 as General Manager of Sales Channel Strategy responsible for developing the company''s business strategy, commercial programmes, production planning and analysis and administration across the business.

In his new role he will bring under one roof the responsibility for sales programmes, logistics, the coordination of production and distribution, the implementation of systems and facilities such as the new import centre at Killingholme, the development of fleet programmes and used car programmes in the network as well as managing the field force of Regional Business Managers and Area Managers.

Paul Williams, Managing Director of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: ''Howard has played a significant role in helping Kia Motors UK Ltd to develop its presence in the market and has helped to build a dealer network that is capable of allowing us to take on the big names of the automotive business. I thank Howard sincerely for all his efforts and wish him every success in the future.

''At the same time, Howard''s decision has allowed us to look closely at bringing together strategic control of the production, supply and sales channels. This will allow us to implement robust processes and structures designed to integrate the various activities that must be closely controlled in order to allow us to deal with the most important issues facing our dealer network and respond more effectively as we seek to reach our mid-term goal of 100,000 sales a year by 2010.

''I know that Alex Smith will face a major task in developing that over-arching strategy and I am confident that he will help us move the Kia brand successfully and profitably forward over the coming period,'' he added.

www.kia.co.uk

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