Ten Things to Celebrate About 2008
December 31st, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized
By Soon-Nam Lee
Director, Overseas Marketing Group, Kia Motors Corporation
Reading the business pages this time of year does not lend itself to Christmas cheer and optimism for 2009. 2008 was by no means perfect for Kia and there’s a lot we still have to improve on but I’d like to share with Kia family and friends my personally selected list of ten great things we achieved this year:
1. The exciting, all-new urban cross over Soul is launched globally to be rolled out in most markets early in 2009
2. We become the world’s fifth largest automaker, along with Hyundai
3. We bypass 2007 global sales volumes in November this year
4. Our global brand ambassador, Rafael Nadal, becomes world number one after winning Wimbledon for the first time
5. The Kia cee’d becomes the most decorated Korean car of all-time in Europe in early 2008
6. We receive the President’s Award for Design at the Korea Design Awards in recognition of the achievements of our design-centered management strategy, implemented in multiple stages since 2006
7. The Optima (known as Magentis in some markets) joins the cee’d in receiving an official 5-star safety rating in the US
8. We win Car Company of Year from the UK’s oldest automotive publication, Autocar
9. We open another dedicated design center in the US and the construction of the new production facility in Georgia remains on track
10. Kia BUZZ celebrates its one-year anniversary and is awarded by the Korean Public Relations Association
Although we will never rest on your laurels, it is important to point out the positives and take stock of our successes. I hope everyone takes this to heart, celebrates their achievements and looks to build on these successes in the New Year.
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