Honda UK appoints new head of automotive

Welcome to Movers and Shakers, an Autocar Business feature covering the latest job moves from across the automotive industry. This page is updated regularly with all the biggest transfers, promotions and departures in the sector, covering everything you need to know. Name: Balaje Rajan Company: JLR Role: Group chief strategy officer JLR has appointed Balaje Rajan as its new group chief strategy officer under recently appointed CEO PB Balaji. Rajan was previously the chief strategy officer and head of international business for JLR's siblings Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility. The move, first reported by Autocar Professional, tightens the ties between JLR and its Indian parent company Tata. The companies' forthcoming electric cars – particularly new Land Rovers and models from Tata's new premium brand, Avinya – will share key technologies, and Rajan's appointment is expected to foster this collaboration. Name: Erhan Eren Company: Kia Role: European PBV director Kia has appointed Erhan Eren to lead its vans and commercial vehicle strategy in Europe. Eren takes the role of PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle) director, replacing Pierre-Martin Bos, who leaves Kia to take up the position of CEO of Zero Motorcycles. Eren joins Kia from Wrightbus, where he served as managing director for Europe. He arrives with 18 years of experience across trucks, buses and vans. Other leadership roles included time at MAN and Iveco. Based in Frankfurt, his core task will be to continue Kia’s commercial vehicle expansion: following last year’s PV5 will be the PV7 in 2027 and the PV9 in 2029. The Korean brand aims to achieve 250,000 global PBV sales by 2030. Eren said: “My priority is to ensure customers benefit from a seamless, reliable ecosystem, from strong product fundamentals to service, uptime support, converter integration and parts availability. "This role brings together everything I value: practical innovation, purposeful transformation and creating real impact for customers.” Name: Lina Ribeiro Company: Dacia Role: UK brand director Dacia has named Renault Group UK’s head of sales operations Lina Ribeiro as its new UK brand director. She is tasked with overseeing the brand following one of its biggest years to date, topped by the arrival of the new Bigster SUV. Ribeiro succeeds Luke Broad who has been promoted to managing director of Retail Renault Group UK. She takes on the role following more than 20 years in the automotive industry. This includes multiple strategic roles in the UK and abroad, which has seen her lead teams and launch initiatives in sales, operations, network development, and customer experience. In her current role at Renault Group UK, she has led teams through strong periods of growth thanks to her straightforward, consistent and quietly inventive leadership style. Ribeiro said: “It’s a real privilege to step into this role and continue shaping the next chapter of Dacia’s success in the UK. “The brand keeps going from strength to strength, always standing for something bigger when it comes to mobility. I’m excited to carry that forward, challenging conventions and delivering meaningful value to our customers.” Katrin Adt, Dacia CEO, said of Ribeiro’s appointment: “I’m pleased to welcome Lina into her new role. As Dacia continues to grow, her leadership will strengthen our momentum in a market that values affordability and durability in vehicles built for the real-world.” Name: Soohang Chang Company: Kia Europe Role: President and CEO Soohang Chang has been named president and CEO of Kia Europe. He moves from being head of the Korean car maker’s Middle East and Africa region. He will officially begin the role on 1 January, taking over from Marc Hedrich, who moves back to his home country to become president of Kia France, a role he held between 2021 and 2023, replacing Tae Kun Yang. In his new role, Chang is tasked with accelerating Kia’s electrification, which will begin with launching the EV2 – the Korean firm’s new entry-level model, which will be unveiled at the Brussels motor show on 9 January. “His proven ability to deliver results in diverse markets positions him to navigate the evolving European automotive landscape and drive Kia’s long-term growth in one of the world’s most dynamic regions,” Kia said of Chang. Of Hedrich, the company said: “His leadership will guide Kia France through its next phase of growth and strengthen the brand’s position in one of Europe’s most competitive markets. His deep understanding of local consumer trends and regulatory dynamics, combined with his prior achievements, make this a strategic move for Kia.” Name: Alexander Karajlovic Company: BMW M Role: Vice-president for development BMW XM project manager Alexander Karajlovic (pictured above) has been appointed as the new vice-president of development for BMW's M division, following the retirement of Dirk Häcker. Karajlovic was responsible for the M versions of BMW's SUVs as well as the XM – the go-faster division's first bespoke product since 1978 – between late 2017 and late 2020. He later managed BMW M's product line-up and was most recently the vice-president of driving experience integration for the BMW Group. Karajlovic has big shoes to fill in replacing Häcker, who can be credited with much of the M division's success since he took charge of its R&D in 2015. Since then, the brand has set several sales records and produced benchmark-setting driver's cars, including the previous-generation BMW M5 CS and BMW M2 CS. Häcker also played a significant role in developing the first battery-electric M-car, the next-generation M3. Alongside his corporate responsibilities, Häcker was an instructor for the BMW M Driving Experience. BMW M CEO Frank van Meel said Häcker's retirement is "well earned" and "his name is inextricably linked with an unprecedented product offensive, superior product quality and yearly sales records at BMW M". Van Meel added that Karajlovic brings a "proven track record of chassis development know-how".

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Honda UK appoints new head of automotive

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Honda UK appoints new head of automotive

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