Kia Appoints John Hargreaves As Head Of Fleet And Remarketing

WEYBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – January 17, 2011: Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., today announced the appointment of John Hargreaves as Head of Fleet and Remarketing with the major task of building Kia’s future Fleet business to new levels as the company aims for a long term annual sales volume in excess of 100,000 units a year.

Hargreaves, 48, joins Kia from Motability Operations Limited where he was Manufacturer Account Manager but brings with him extensive experience from a variety of roles with Citroen UK Ltd., - latterly as National Fleet sales Manager between 2005 and 2009.

He will take up his new role at Kia from 8 February and will be responsible for developing the strategy, processes and systems behind the company’s UK fleet sales ambitions and used car operations – including the Approved Used scheme. Hargreaves is married with two children and graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford. He joined the motor industry in 1985 amd spent six years with the Ford Motor Company prior to joining Citroen.

Yaser Shabsogh, Kia’s Sales Director said: “We are delighted to have someone with John’s experience joining us at what is a vital and exciting time. Our fleet share has, in recent years, run well behind our retail share – 1.7 per cent in 2010 compared to more than four per cent – but as part of our future strategy we want to see fleet sales accounting for 40 per cent or more of our business.

“If we are to achieve our longer-term goals then that kind of split will be essential but I am sure that John is the man to put in place the plans to deliver that kind of performance,” he added.

Hargreaves said: “I have watched Kia’s development over the last five years with considerable interest and more than a little admiration. The brand has changed out of all recognition and is truly appealing right across the market – I am well aware of that from my time at Citroen and more recently with Motability.

“This is a great time to be joining Kia. With the astonishing new designs from Peter Schreyer and his team, the remarkable quality backed by what I consider to be the simplest and best warranty in the industry and the arrival just this year of three all-new products in the vitally important A, B and D segments there is an amazing opportunity in front of the brand. I am excited at what I believe we can achieve over the next five years,” he commented.