"Kia Strengthens Design Capabilities by Recruiting Talent for Europe and China"

Kia secures the capability to lead global design trends by recruiting design talents responsible for Europe and China.

On the 26th, Kia announced the appointment of designer Oliver Samson as Head of Kia Europe Design Center and designer Lim Seung-mo as Head of Kia China Design.

Executive Director Oliver Samson began his career as an exterior designer at Hyundai Motor·Kia Europe Design Center in 2003. He participated in projects such as the Hyundai i20 and Kia Ceed show car production.

In 2007, he moved to Mercedes-Benz, leading design development for the EQ Silver Arrow, Maybach SIX Coupe, A-class sedan, Vision AMG GT6, and F015.

Since 2018, he served as the exterior design lead at Chinese electric vehicle company NIO, working on projects including the ET5, ET7, and EC6. In 2022, he took the position of Head of Innovation Design Platform at Changan Automobile, overseeing numerous design projects.

Oliver Sampson, Head of Kia Europe Design Center (left in photo), Seungmo Lim, Head of Kia China Design Department [Photo by Kia]

Lim Seung-mo, appointed as Head of Kia China Design, will establish customized design strategies specialized for China and pursue progressive yet innovative design development.

Lim majored in Fine Arts at Hongik University’s Department of Industrial Design and earned a master's degree in Transportation Design from Pforzheim University in Germany. Since 2010, he worked at BMW Group, handling exterior design for projects including the BMW i4, 4 Series, Vision Next 100, and 235i Racing. In 2022, he led design projects related to a new electric vehicle brand as Head of Exterior Design at Chinese company Didi Chuxing, and in 2023, he served as Chief Innovation Design Leader at Geely Automobile, leading design development for various models spanning concept to mass production.

Executive Director Samson said, "I am pleased to join Kia at a time when the mobility industry is undergoing significant changes. I will work with Kia’s talented designers to enhance design development capabilities and strive to increase the value of Kia’s design."

Lim said, "Under Kia’s progressive design philosophy, I will do my best to improve future design competitiveness. I will contribute to ensuring that Kia China Design continues to play an important role."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.