LOS ANGELES — Kia Motors America named Bill Peffer chief operating officer and executive vice president after serving as vice president of sales operations since July 2017.
Peffer, 50, will lead all customer-facing functions in the U.S., Kia said in a statement, including sales, marketing and service. He will report to Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors North America.
The appointment is effective Jan. 1.
“In the most difficult of circumstances, Kia’s U.S. sales have outperformed the industry throughout 2020 under Bill’s leadership,” Yoon said in the statement Thursday. “This promotion is well deserved, and with five all-new and significantly redesigned vehicles slated for introduction in 2021 Bill will play an increasingly important role in the growth and maturation of the Kia brand.”
Prior to his arrival at Kia in July 2017 to steer sales, Peffer had been president and COO of New England dealership group Balise Motor Sales in West Springfield, Mass.
Before joining Balise, he had a 10-month stint as Cadillac’s head of sales after leaving Nissan Australia as CEO. He has also worked for Ford Motor Co.
In June, Kia Motors America announced that unit president Michael Cole was leaving the brand and taking a position as CEO for Hyundai Europe. Kia and Hyundai share a parent company, Hyundai Motor Group. At the time of Cole’s departure, Kia said the president post would be assumed by Yoon.
