Toronto, Ontario — September 18, 2019 — Kia Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, has a new president and CEO.
Effective August 1, 2019, Sungwon Kwon is Kia Canada’s new president and CEO. Previously working with the Americas Group at Kia Motors Corporation in South Korea, Kwon has been with Kia Motors since 1995 and delivers a wealth of experience in global business to the brand’s Canadian branch.
Sungwon takes over from Kyle Lee, who took the post as CEO in March 2018. Lee leaves Canada for Kia Motors Central and South America, where he will serve as the company’s president and CEO.
“On behalf of our entire organization and dealers across the country, I would like to thank Mr. Lee for the tremendous efforts and leadership here in Canada,” said Elias El-Achhab, vice president and chief operating officer of Kia Canada, in a press release. “We wish him luck in his new role.”
Established in Canada in 1999, the brand is currently celebrating its 20th year here.
“As a young brand in Canada, we have come a long way in recent years,” said El-Achhab. “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Kwon to the team and know that his experience and expertise will help us ensure that our product offering matches the demand of Canadian consumers.”
As Kia Canada announced its new president and CEO, it also reported its total sales for the month of August. The brand sold 7,640 vehicles in Canada this August, a 3 percent increase from the same time period in 2018.
The brand’s top sellers at the Forte (1,726 units sold), the Sorrento (1,406 units) and the Sportage (1,336 units).
