Interview: Tae Hyun Oh, Executive Vice President and COO, Kia Motors Corporation

Tae Hyun (Thomas) Oh became Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the International Business Division at Kia Motors Corporation in 2010. The role gives Oh responsibility for Kia’s sales, marketing and after sales service operations in all markets outside of Korea. This ranges from new model launches and export strategies to targeted marketing campaigns and sponsorship of events such as the NBA, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Australian Open Tennis Championships, and Kia Extreme Games.

During his 32 years at Hyundai Motor Group, Oh has held a variety of positions in overseas postings, specifically in North America, Asia-Pacific and, appropriately for this discussion, Europe. Automotive World recently discussed with Oh Kia’s performance in Europe, and his views on the outlook for the European market in general.