In this video interview, Kia Motors Europe chief operating officer, Emilio Herrera, and director of marketing, Carlos Lahoz, outline how the Korean brand is learning from supply chain and production disruptions, digitalising sales channels and maintaining investment in electrification to chart a route towards recovery in Europe.

Kia has tended to thrive during crises. It grew sales and marketshare in Europe through most of the Great Recession of 2008-2009 and subsequent Eurozone crisis. Now, might its supply chain, manufacturing and sales once again recover quicker than others in the wake of Covid-19?

In this exclusive video interview, Emilio Herrera, chief operator officer for Kia Motors Europe, and director of marketing Carlos Lahoz, provide reasons for optimism, whether in terms of sales recovery, supply chain resilience and ongoing investment in R&D and electrification. Like other manufacturers, Kia will face big challenges in maintaining output, and content with depressed sales markets in Europe. But Herrera and Lahoz have a strategy which – together with some support from governments – could point towards recovery. Will Kia’s supply chain be able to cope? 

*We apologise for the sound issues on the Kia side of the recording, which was the result of an issue with the Zoom recording.

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