Kia UK has revealed David Hilbert will return to Kia UK in the position of Sales Director, effective 1 May 2026, replacing Sanka De Silva.
He will report to Simon Hetherington, Commercial Director at Kia UK, and oversee sales across retail and fleet sectors for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Hilbert said: “I am thrilled to be joining Kia UK once again, after a rewarding few years at Kia Europe.
“I am also excited to take on a new challenge and apply my skills to lead the Sales department for Kia’s best performing market in Europe.
“Kia UK consistently delivers progressive sales success year-on-year in a challenging and volatile market, it will be my keen focus to maintain this impressive track record.”
Kia Europe’s Marketing Director since January 2022, Hilbert delivered strategic brand development, marketing communications, digital innovation, social media, and PR & corporate communications.
Hilbert previously worked at Kia UK as Marketing Director between 2016 and 2022. He joined Kia from Toyota (GB) plc where he served as General Manager of Vehicle Marketing.
Simon Hetherington, Kia UK’s Commercial Director, said: “Kia UK’s success can be partly attributed to the consistency and longevity of the senior leadership team. Reappointing David into our business as Sales Director is a strategic move to ensure we maintain our long-term strategy planning and delivery ability, alongside our award-winning partnership with our dealer partners.
“David has developed a great reputation within Kia to date and I’m proud to have him back as a senior member of Kia UK.
“My thanks go to Sanka for his determination, hard work and loyalty to the Kia brand for nearly 10 years, and we wish him our very best wishes for the future.”
