Subscribe & Follow
#CannesLions
- The new standardCarl Willoughby
- All the South African winnersDanette Breitenbach
- Final Grande Prix and LionsDanette Breitenbach
Trending
-
-
-
Gauteng government buys newspaper space to praise MECDaniel Steyn, Joseph Bracken and Raymond Joseph
-
-
-
Jobs
- Warranty and Costing Clerk Cape Town
- Warranty and Costing Clerck Cape Town
- RSA - Repair Shop Assistant George
- Customer Experience Team Leader Johannesburg North
- New Vehicle Sales Executive Paarl
- Vehicle Sales Manager Newcastle
- Senior Fleet Controller Helderberg, Strand, Gordens Bay, Somerset West
- Sales Manager Johannesburg North
- Senior Pre-owned Sales Manager East Rand
- Vehicle Sales Executive - LCV Pinetown
Kia Motors appoints Karim Habib as Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Centre
|
Kia Motors Corporation has appointed Karim Habib as Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Centre. Habib’s appointment will enable Kia to continue enhancing design competitiveness of its brand and products. He will take up his new post at the start of October and will be based at Kia’s global design headquarters in Namyang, Korea.
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1909/516521.jpg)
Responsible for the design of Kia vehicles, Habib will oversee the work of Kia’s exterior, interior, colour, and material teams, and help determine the future design strategy and direction of the Kia brand, reporting to Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group.
Renowned for his exceptional ability to reflect brand identity in his designs, Habib brings with him more than twenty years’ experience leading major design projects at premium brands. His most recent role was as Executive Design Director at INFINITI Motor Company, overseeing the design of brand’s latest concept vehicles. He worked previously with both BMW Group and Daimler Group. Born in Lebanon, Habib studied Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in Canada, as well as Transportation Design at the Art Center College of Design in California. He is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian.
“Kia is a growing, ambitious brand on a determined path toward electrification and mobility innovation,” said Habib. “I am thrilled to be a part of this transformation to strengthen the Kia brand further into the future of the automotive industry, which promises to be full of challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with CDO Donckerwolke whose work I have admired for many years, as well as the Kia design team that has created some truly remarkable designs.”
“SVP Habib will be an asset for the Kia brand with his international background and global experience,” said Donckerwolke. “We highly appreciate Karim’s talent and experience. He is joining Kia at a crucial moment to project the brand into the future of mobility and to reinforce the young-spirited and motivated design team which has won numerous international design awards.”
The Kia Design Centre is the birthplace of Kia’s global models, responsible for overseeing all aspects of vehicle design – from conceptualisation and modelling to styling and development of colour and materials. Based in Namyang, Korea, Kia’s Design Centre operates as part of the brand’s global design network, with regional design centres in the U.S.A. and Europe.
Karim Habib career highlights:
2017 ~ 2019: Executive Design Director INFINITI, Nissan Motor Company
2012 ~ 2017: Head of Design BMW Automobiles, BMW Group
2011 ~ 2012: Head of Exterior Design BMW Automobiles, BMW Group
2009 ~ 2011: Senior Manager Advanced Design Germany, Daimler
2007 ~ 2009: Chief Designer Advanced Design, BMW Group
2004 ~ 2007: Senior Designer (Exterior Production Design), BMW Group
2002 ~ 2003: Exterior/Interior Designer - Advanced Design, BMW Group
1998 ~ 2001: Exterior/Interior Production Designer, BMW Group
- Own your journey: The new Kia Seltos19 Apr 12:29
- Double win for Kia at the inaugural TopGear South Africa Awards18 Dec 11:29
- Kia South Africa launches 'Test Drive for Good' campaign over Heritage Day weekend in KwaZulu-Natal19 Sep 12:19
- Kia The Glen takes top honours in the 2023 Kia Dealer of the Year Awards05 Sep 11:22
- Kia EV9 wins Luxury category in German Car of the Year 2024 Awards01 Sep 15:37
![](/res/img/s.gif)