Canadian Heads Kia Design Centre

Kia Motors Corporation has appointed Canadian Karim Habib as senior vice-president and head of Kia Design Centre.

Habib’s appointment will enable Kia to continue enhancing the design competitiveness of its brand and products. He will take up his new post at the start of October and will be based at Kia’s global design headquarters in Namyang, Korea.

Responsible for the design of Kia vehicles, Habib will oversee the work of Kia’s exterior, interior, colour, and material teams, and help determine the future design strategy and direction of the Kia brand.

Renowned for his exceptional ability to reflect brand identity in his designs, Habib brings with him more than twenty years’ experience leading major design projects at premium brands.

His most recent role was as executive design director at Infiniti Motor Company, overseeing the design of brand’s latest concept vehicles.

He worked previously with both BMW Group and Daimler Group.

Born in Lebanon, Habib studied Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in Canada, as well as Transportation Design at the Art Centre College of Design in California.

He is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian.

The Kia Design Centre is the birthplace of Kia’s global models, responsible for overseeing all aspects of vehicle design – from conceptualization and modelling to styling and development of color and materials.

Based in Namyang, Korea, Kia’s Design Centre operates as part of the brand’s global design network, with regional design centers in the U.S. and Europe.