Kia India has announced that Tae-Jin Park, the Executive Director and Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer (CSBO), will assume the role of managing director and CEO, Kia India, from October 4. Tae-Jin has been associated with Kia India since January 2020.

• Tae-Jin Park has been associated with Kia since 1987
• Kookhyun’s leadership helped Kia India carve an identity for itself
• Kia India has gained over 6 percent market share in just 26 months

Kia India sees change in leadership 

Tae-Jin will succeed Kookhyun Shim, the current MD and CEO of Kia India, who played a crucial role in introducing the brand here. Appointed to his role in January 2018, Kookhyun has helped Kia carve a distinct identity in the hugely competitive passenger vehicle market in India with just three products – the Seltos, Sonet and Carnival. He will now retire and move back to Korea.

For an unknown brand which began selling its cars in India in August 2019, Kia India has become a name to reckon with. In just 26 months, the carmaker has a 6.47 percent share of the passenger vehicle market and the Seltos and Sonet are regulars in the top five best-selling SUVs each month.

Under Kookhyun’s supervision, Kia India completed its manufacturing unit in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh and started mass production of vehicles in record time. He also helped Kia successfully grab a number of milestones within a short span in India.

Tae-Jin Park’s role

In his new role, Tae-Jin will be responsible for Kia’s growth and market expansion in the country. He will also directly oversee the entire manufacturing, product strategy and development, business planning and sales.

Commenting on his appointment, Tae-Jin said, “It is my honour and absolute privilege to lead India operations and take the Kia story 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 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 and development hub for Kia.”

In his career spanning over three decades, Tae-Jin 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 in Seoul, South Korea, as Head of Operations for the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He has also served as the Chief Sales Officer, Kia Mexico and has been associated with the manufacturer since 1987.

Upcoming Kia launches in India

The South Korean carmaker does not have any major launches coming up this year. However, Kia is gearing up to introduce an all-new MPV. This new model (Codename: KY) will see a market launch sometime in early 2022.