Kia Europe has appointed Christophe Mandon as Vice President Sales and Ownership Experience, effective 13 April 2026, reinforcing the brand’s focus on accelerating sales growth while elevating the customer journey across its expanding European footprint.
In his new role, Mandon will report directly to Sjoerd Knipping, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Europe, and will play a key part in aligning commercial performance with the company’s electrification roadmap. His mandate reflects a broader strategic push to strengthen both market competitiveness and customer engagement at a time when the automotive industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by electrification and digitalisation.
Mandon joins Kia Europe from Kia France, where he served as Vice President and led a range of commercial and customer-focused initiatives in a highly competitive market. His experience in France further cemented his reputation for balancing sales execution with a strong emphasis on ownership experience, a combination increasingly central to modern automotive strategy.
With nearly 30 years of international automotive leadership experience, Mandon brings a deep and geographically diverse background across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His career spans senior roles in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Morocco, and Germany, including key positions at Citroën and Groupe PSA. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President Global Sales Opel/Vauxhall at Stellantis in Germany, where he oversaw global sales operations within a complex multi-brand structure.
Commenting on his appointment, Mandon highlighted the importance of supporting sustainable sales growth while ensuring a seamless customer experience across every touchpoint. His approach will focus on helping European markets adapt to evolving customer expectations while maintaining strong commercial momentum during Kia’s ongoing electrification transition.
Sjoerd Knipping, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Europe, emphasised the strategic importance of the appointment, noting Mandon’s extensive international experience and strong understanding of shifting customer expectations. He added that enhancing both sales performance and ownership experience will remain central to Kia’s strategy as it continues to expand its electrified vehicle portfolio across Europe.
The appointment signals Kia Europe’s continued investment in leadership that bridges commercial expertise with customer-centric thinking, positioning the brand to strengthen its presence in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape.
