Senior administration adjustments at Kia UK with new gross sales director

Kia UK’s gross sales director and advertising and marketing director have swapped jobs as a part of the model’s new enterprise technique.

Former advertising and marketing director Sanka De Silva is now Kia UK’s gross sales director, whereas Steve Hicks has moved from gross sales to go up the model’s advertising and marketing.

The position swaps are efficient from immediately (March 3, 2025).

De Silva joined Kia UK in 2017, then with a transparent concentrate on strategic seller advertising and marketing communications and retail programmes.

He then progressed to steer the broader UK advertising and marketing perform. 

De Silva mentioned: “I’m thrilled to be taking over this new place at such an thrilling and evolving time for Kia.

“Our entry into the LCV market and the altering trade panorama presents an actual alternative for Kia.

“With such a robust product line-up in view, an engaged and dedicated seller community and gross sales momentum at a promising fee, we’re in a optimistic place and I’m desperate to get began and lead our gross sales perform to new heights.”

Hicks additionally joined the enterprise in 2017, main all gross sales channels throughout retail and fleet, for brand new and used vehicles, in collaboration with the 190-strong seller community.

He has performed “an instrumental position” in Kia’s gross sales development in recent times, rising new automobile gross sales from 93,304 in 2017, to 2024’s file of 112,252.

Taking over his new position as advertising and marketing director, Hicks will now lead Kia UK’s advertising and marketing perform because the model ramps up new EV product introductions.

Hicks mentioned: “Kia is at a pivotal second proper now, as we improve our place as a frontrunner in electrification. 

“The belief and engagement of our prospects has all the time been key to our continued success, and I’m honoured to have the chance to steer Kia’s product positioning and advertising and marketing communications to boost how UK customers strategy and have interaction with the model.”

Each strikes have been made to ship on Kia’s ‘Take the Lead’ technique for 2025, outlined on the model’s annual seller convention in January.

Alongside different key priorities, the technique focuses on introducing the corporate’s largest variety of new electrified automobiles in a single 12 months, and coming into the mild business automobile marketplace for the primary time with the absolutely electrical Kia PV5.

Each Hicks and De Silva preserve their equal place on the chief board of administrators for Kia UK and proceed to report back to business director, Simon Hetherington.