BIG changes at Kia: after 14 years John Hargreaves is taking retirement and Dave Williams (pictured above) is appointed the new Kia Head of Fleet, effective 01 July.
This ‘changing of the guard’ comes at a significant time for Kia, as it continues to grow in popularity across both fleet and retail markets and prepares to launch into the light commercial vehicle sector with Kia PBVs. Kia is currently the third best-selling brand in the UK, year-to-date.
As Kia Head of Fleet, Dave will take over all aspects of the role, from fleet sales and remarketing to business-specific areas of the company, including Kia Rental, Motability and the company’s newly launched commercial vehicle PBV line sales.
Dave is likely to be busy, since Kia is planning to launch 15 EV models and 10 PHEV models by 2030.
This year there will be the launch of the EV4, EV5 and PV5, which strengthen Kia’s fleet appeal with even greater versatility. Kia is also building towards a complete fleet offering, with a Fleet Management System (FMS) currently being worked on alongside the introduction of commercial vehicles, as well as the continuation of the Kia Business Service Promise – offering preferential rates to business customers who service, maintain and repair their vehicles at Kia dealerships.
Dave Williams is a highly experienced automotive professional. He joined Kia in 2005, as National Dealer Marketing Manager, before switching to Regional Business Manager (RBM) in 2008 and then National Business Manager in 2011, the same year that John Hargreaves joined the business. In October 2017, Dave started his current role as Kia’s Area Manager for the South, where he was responsible for the sales performance of 101 dealerships, while managing a team of RBMs.
“It has been my privilege to work for Kia over the past 20 years, and I very much look forward to returning to the fleet side of the business. The key to that success has been the people: the team and leadership, of which John has been integral. He has led the fleet team with incredible knowledge and foresight – something I hope to emulate as Kia enters its next chapter.
Leading Kia fleet sales for 14 years
During his 14-year tenure, John Hargreaves (pictured above) has been instrumental in expanding Kia’s appeal in the fleet market and increasing sales, including via the Kia broker programme.
John began his career with Kia on 08 February 2011, as Head of Fleet and Remarketing; a position he has held throughout his time at the company, albeit under different job titles; latterly General Manager for Fleet and Remarketing. His time at Kia started when UK sales amounted to just over 50,000 annual registrations, compared to today’s figure being more than double and clearly demonstrating the strong appetite for Kia’s award-winning models.
John Hargreaves commented: “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together during my time at Kia, having taken the company from the relatively small manufacturer that it once was, to becoming one of the most recognised and admired car brands in the UK.
“This is in no small part due to the hard work and dedication of the entire fleet team whom I’ve had the pleasure of leading, and who I am pleased to leave in such capable hands. Dave brings a great wealth of expertise to the role and I have every confidence in his ability to continue driving innovation in the fleet team for years ahead.”
Sanka De Silva, Sales Director at Kia UK, said: “John is unquestionably one of the industry’s most recognisable and respected figures and he will be sorely missed by the entire company and everyone who’s had the pleasure of working with him. I would personally like to thank him for his dedication and hard work over the past decade and a half, and I wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement. His vision and understanding of the industry are unparalleled and we will be very sad to see him leave. These are very big shoes to fill!
“Therefore, we are delighted to announce Dave’s move to become our new Head of Fleet. He has spent even longer with the company than even John can claim, and worked across various aspects of the business, including fleet and with our dealer partners directly, so we are confident that Dave is the right man for the job.
“I’m certain that he will be able to continue momentum for us at this exciting time, as we continue our shift towards electrification and more recently the light commercial vehicle sector, too.”
Read our interview with John Hargreaves
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Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
