Kia creates new post in bid to double sales
Korean car maker Kia has appointed its first head of marketing with the aim of doubling vehicle sales to 10,000 within three years.
The car currently holds 0.25 per cent of the UK market. But the company has now hired Gary Elliott, previously product manager at Korean rival Hyundai UK, with the promise of increased marketing and advertising resources to achieve the 10,000 target. Kia sold 4,919 cars in 1996.
Elliott will work with the management consultancy/ad agency Mountain View, formerly Barker & Ralston. He is one of the first recruits since Mark Quinn took over as Kia managing director in February. But Quinn is promising more appointments.
“I am still looking for top-line people to fill some of the other vacancies within Kia, with the intention of having a comprehensive board of directors within 18 months,” says Quinn. “Elliott has experience of Korean manufacturers and the UK car market, and will be key in pushing Kia to 10,000 units by the turn of the century.”
