Kia Canada welcomes new Vice President and COO amidst celebrating 20 years in Canada.
Kia Canada celebrates 20 years in Canada with its employees, acknowledging the immense team effort that contributed to the rapid success of the brand across the country, and introduced new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Vice President, Elias El-Achhab.
New Leadership
El-Achhab has 17 years of experience in the automotive industry and was previously the Vice President of the S. Dilawri Auto Group in Ottawa where he was responsible for all facets of business operations for ten dealerships, two of which were the Kia brand.
As the new Vice President and COO of Kia Canada, El-Achhab will be reporting directly to Kyle Lee, President and CEO, Kia Canada.
“As we look to build on a successful first twenty years in Canada, we are very excited to welcome Elias to the team,” said Lee. “His experience and leadership will play a critical role in bringing some very exciting plans to the Canadian market in both the short and long term.”
Twenty years strong
Kia Canada opened in 1999, with 43 dealerships and two nameplates – the Sportage and the Sephia – finishing the first year with 1,417 vehicles sold. Now, Kia has 200 locations, delivering nearly 75,000 annual sales through an award-winning lineup of eleven nameplates.
The success of the brand has been attributed to improvements in leadership, design, and manufacturing quality accomplished through the hard work of its employees and dealership staff.
Kia Canada acknowledged its employees’ contribution with a staff celebration at its corporate office in Mississauga, where employees from across the country came together to appreciate the cross-functional relationships that make the Power to Surprise possible at all levels of the business.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Kia at such an exciting time for the brand,” said El-Achhab. ”Having the opportunity to celebrate the collective achievement of this team and meet such a great group of people was the perfect way to start my journey at Kia, and I cannot wait to be part of the future that has limitless opportunity for the brand both globally and here in Canada.”
