Simon Hetherington, currently Kia Motors (UK)’s marketing director, has been appointed to the newly created role of dealer development director and will take up the new position at the start of July.

Since joining the company in 2007 from Toyota GB, Hetherington has steered the company’s increased public profile through the development of Kia’s product line-up and marketing communications programme.

Hetherington will now lead a new department aimed at strengthening the dealer network’s customer experience focus, the business development of existing and new dealers and the provision of support and services to support dealership profitability.

A new corporate identity called Red Cube is being rolled out over the next three years and Hetherington will oversee that development as well as the growth of the network overall.

Hetherington studied at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge gaining an MA and at Reading University for a certificate of management before joining Toyota and fulfilling a variety of roles in sales & marketing.

Michael Cole, Kia Motors UK managing director, said: “Simon has done a huge job leading the brand’s market profile over the past four years and I am confident that he will bring all of that experience to bear in helping to enhance the capabilities of our dealer partners.”

Hetherington said: “I have had the chance to work with a great team here at Kia and having seen the efforts of our dealer commercial, academy and franchising teams at close quarters over the last four years, I am convinced we can help our dealers deliver unrivalled services to our customers and at the same time develop even greater profitability for their businesses.”