기아자동차 본사에서는 나름대로 이유가 있다고 하겠지만 현지 언론과 자동차 딜러들이 그렇게 보지 안는데 문제가 있다. 이미지 개선은 제품 개선만 가지고 되는 것이 아니다. 작금 일어나고 있는 이런 현상이 모두 기업 이미지에 부정적으로 작용하게 될 것이기 땐문이다.
아래 두개의 기사는 인터넷 신문에 있는 기사를 그대로 따왔다.
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Len Hunt, Ian Beavis leave Kia
Kathy Jackson
Automotive News
February 10, 2008 - 3:06 pm ET
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| Len Hunt, left, and Ian Beavis |
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barely two months after being promoted to CEO of Kia Motors America, Len Hunt has resigned, company officials told dealers at the Kia make meeting today. Hunt joined the company in October 2005 as COO.
Officials also confirmed to dealers that Ian Beavis, vice president of marketing, also has left the company. In an email to Automotive News Saturday, Beavis said he could not comment. Hunt did not return phone calls.
It is not immediately known why Hunt and Beavis left their positions. On Feb. 5, Kia announced that Byung Mo Ahn had been named to the newly created position of chairman and group CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, the automotive plant currently under construction in West Point, Ga. Ahn most recently held the position of CEO of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.
"Ahn was appointed to this position due to the importance of the United States market to the automotive industry and in terms of Kia's global operations. He will be based at KMA's corporate campus in Irvine, Calif.," Kia said in a prepared statement.
The statement further said that "Ahn brings to the organization more than 30 years experience with the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group. Ahn has held various positions within Kia Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co., including president and CEO of Kia Motors America from 1999 through 2001 when he guided the company through unprecedented growth and record sales of more than 40 percent during his tenure."
Hunt replaced Peter Butterfield, who was fired as CEO of Kia Motors America at a dealer meeting in October 2005. Butterfield was hired by Ahn.
Kia's sales had risen under Hunt, and that's why he was promoted to CEO, the company wrote in a release on Nov. 12, 2007.
"This decision reflects a solid vote of confidence in the leadership of Len Hunt," E.S. Chung, president and CEO of Kia Motors Corp. wrote in the statement. "He has put together and empowered a team of seasoned professionals to help Kia flexibly meet the changing U.S. market situation, and he is the right choice to lead the company going forward."
Kia's sales were down 5.2 percent to 21,355 units in January 2008 compared to January 2007. All car nameplates were up except the full-sized Amanti sedan. Truck sales were down 30.7 percent. Kia will begin selling the Borrego, its first midsized V8 powered SUV in the United States in late spring or early summer as a 2009 model.
Hunt, 51, had been executive vice president of VW of America Inc. before joining Kia as COO. Before that, he was vice president of Audi of America Inc. Hunt joined Kia because he did not want to accept a VW position that would have required him to go to Europe to oversee worldwide marketing for Bentley.
Beavis, 54, joined Kia in May, 2005 after leaving Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. in Nov. 2004 as vice president of marketing. Beavis also worked in marketing at Ford of Australia and Lincoln-Mercury Division in the United States. He worked on the Toyota account at Saatchi & Saatchi and headed the San Francisco and Seattle offices for Foote, Cone & Belding on the DaimlerChrysler account.
The Koreans have been at odds with their American executives in this country.
In addition to Butterfield being fired in 2005, Bob Cosmai the CEO of Hyundai Motor America was fired in January, 2006. He was replaced by Steve Wilhite, who was hired as the COO in August, 2006. Wilhite left the company in September, 2007.
=========================================================================================================또 연이어 이런 기사도 있었다. 딜러들의 불만이 이만저만이 아닌 것 같다.
Kathy Jackson
Automotive News
February 10, 2008 - 10:15pm ET
There was tension in the room. Kia dealers went to their make meeting yesterday wanting to know whether rumors were true that Len Hunt, CEO of Kia Motors America, and Ian Beavis, vice president of sales, had left the company.
They soon got confirmation that Hunt - named CEO a mere two months earlier - and Beavis had resigned.
The rumors had been flying here since Friday. And when Hunt and Beavis were no-shows at the Kia reception Saturday, confusion swirled. Although many believed the rumors to be true, most employees and dealers at the party said they had received no formal word.
Tom Loveless, Kia's vice president of sales, chaired the make meeting. After about 30 minutes with no mention of either Hunt or Beavis, Tacoma, Wash., dealer Ken Phillips stood up and asked about Hunt.
"They said he (Hunt) resigned this morning and so did Ian Beavis," Phillips told Automotive News after the meeting.
It then became clear that Ahn Byung Mo, who on Feb. 5 had been named to the newly created position of chairman and group CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, would take over Hunt's duties.
Ahn already is CEO of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. He also served as CEO of Kia Motors America from 1999 through 2001.
Don Hicks, owner of Shortline Kia in Aurora, Colo., says the dealers were concerned. "This is not the first time this has happened," he says.
Peter Butterfield, Hunt's predecessor, was fired as CEO at a dealer meeting in Las Vegas in 2005.
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