Kia India elevates Tae-Jin Park as Managing Director and CEO

 

• Park will succeed  Kookhyun Shim to spearhead the overall India operations for Kia
  

New Delhi, September 30, 2021: Kia India (KIN) today announced that Tae-Jin Park, Executive Director and Chief Sales & Business Strategy Officer (CSBO) will assume the role of Managing Director and CEO, Kia India, effective on 4^th October 2021. Mr Park has been associated with Kia India since January 2020.

Mr T J Park will succeed Mr Kookhyun Shim, the current MD & CEO of Kia India, who played a crucial role in introducing the Kia brand in India. Under his supervision, Kia India completed its manufacturing unit in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and started mass production of vehicles in record time. Under his dynamic leadership, Kia successfully chronicled multiple milestones within a short span in the country. Mr Kookhyun Shim will retire from his services and will move back to Korea.

In his new role, Mr Park will be responsible for company’s growth and market expansion in the country. He will lead the India operations and directly oversee the entire manufacturing, product strategy and development, business planning and sales.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Tae-Jin Park, the new Managing Director & CEO, Kia India said, “It is my honour and absolute privilege to lead India operations and take the Kia story in the country forward, building upon the strong foundation laid by Mr Shim. India is a strategic market for Kia and has potential to foster growth for the brand globally. In our short journey in India so far, we have achieved many milestones and these achievements are a testament to our commitment of bringing a revolution in the auto industry by making a difference across the entire auto ecosystem. Our ambitious targets will not only challenge us, but will also help us establish India as an important sales, production and research & development hub for Kia.”

In his illustrious career spanning over three decades, Mr Park has gained immense knowledge of global business environment and his expertise lies in penetrating new markets. Prior to his association with Kia India, he served at the headquarters of Kia Corporation as Head of Operations for the Middle East, Africa and Asia base in Seoul, South Korea. Mr Park has also served as the Chief Sales Officer, Kia Mexico. He has been associated with Kia Corporation since 1987.

Kia India – about us

In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility at Anantapur District. Kia commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. In April 2021, Kia India reimagined itself in line with its new brand identity, “Movement that Inspires” aimed at offering customers meaningful experiences backed by innovative products and services. Under the new brand identity, Kia has set out to find ways to achieve new benchmarks and inspire consumers to be more and do more. Till date, Kia India has launched three vehicles for Indian market – the Seltos, the Carnival and the Sonet; and has become the youngest brand to be the 4^th largest automaker in India with class-leading product offering, service quality and reliability. Kia India became the quickest brand to achieve the 300,000 sales milestone in the domestic automotive market in less than two years of its operations. Kia is also leading the connected car evolution in India with over 1.5 lakh cars on Indian roads, it is the connected SUV Leader. The brand has a widespread network of 300 customer touchpoints and is focused on strengthening its footprints across the country.

Kia Corporation – about us

Kia (www.kia.com) is a global mobility brand with a vision to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies around the world. Founded in 1944, Kia has been providing mobility solutions for more than 75 years. With 52,000 employees worldwide, a presence in more than 190 markets, and manufacturing facilities in six countries, the company today sells around three million vehicles a year. Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging millions of people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around. The company's brand slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’ – reflects Kia’s commitment to inspire consumers through its products and services.

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