“We are very impressed with this year’s group of Automotive News Europe Rising Stars winners. We believe each will make a great impact on his or her company and the industry as a whole in the years to come,” commented Automotive News Europe Editor Luca Ciferri. Commenting on the award, Daniel Müller said: “Obviously I am delighted to have been named as a 2013 Rising Star, and this award is an acknowledgement of the IT strategy pursued by Kia Motors Europe. The whole team works hard to find the right balance between innovation and the need to ensure all our IT users remain up to date with existing technology. It remains a source of pride that we’re able to continue making progress in line with the rapid growth of the brand.”
Daniel Müller, a 41-year-old German, was appointed as Kia’s Head of IT at the beginning of 2011 after a number of years working between Germany and a number of countries in Asia. This is the first industry accolade awarded to Mr Müller. To qualify as a Rising Star, an automotive executive must have a pan-European profile and stand out for having driven change, fostered innovation or made courageous decisions. Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years’ work experience, multiple language skills, and be 45 years old or younger. The winners are chosen from across Europe by a judging panel comprised of senior editors from Automotive News Europe and Automotive News, and a number of previous winners of the Rising Stars award.
This year, the judges selected a shortlist of Rising Stars from 12 categories across the automotive industry: Aftersales & Service, Engineering, Manufacturing, Design, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, Purchasing, Communications and General Management.
