Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer and the man who has led the company’s design transformation, has been appointed a President of Kia Motors Corporation – the first non-Korean to hold that title in the company’s history, making him one of three President-level executives at Kia. Schreyer, 59, joined Kia in 2006 to create a new design-led product strategy for the brand and was responsible for introducing the now familiar “Tiger-nose” grille for the expanding Kia range. Since then the design team has unveiled a long line of exciting concept cars and dramatic new products including the latest Sportage, the new cee’d family and larger models for sale in the Korean domestic and some overseas markets such as Optima, K7 and Quoris as well as the Picanto and Rio. Schreyer has frequently expressed his commitment to Kia and his desire to remain with the company to continue driving Kia’s growth with progressive design.
The all-new Carens being launched in 2013 will be the final volume product in Kia’s model line-up to benefit from Schreyer’s design philosophy. “I congratulate Peter Schreyer on his new appointment, which recognises the role he has played in ensuring that design was at the forefront of the remarkable success enjoyed by Kia in recent years,” commented Benny Oeyen, Vice President Marketing and Product Planning, Kia Motors Europe. “I look forward to continuing to work with Peter as he directs the design-led growth strategy to bring the brand further success in the future.” Schreyer is married with two children and is originally from Bavaria in Germany. He studied in Germany and at the Royal College of Art in the UK before becoming part of the Volkswagen Group’s design team and contributing to the distinct appearance of several models including the Volkswagen Passat and the Audi TT.
