John Buckingham
Kia announced on the 5th that it has recruited John Buckingham, a designer formerly of BMW, Bentley, and Faraday Future, as the Head of Next Design Exterior.
Director Buckingham is expected to lead the development of next-generation exterior designs embodying Kia's design philosophy, ‘Opposites United.’ He has been working in the automotive industry since 2005, handling various luxury and electric vehicle design projects.
He joined BMW Group as an exterior designer in 2005. From 2012, he worked at BMW Designworks USA, leading the design of the 8 Series concept car. In 2018, he moved to Bentley, where he played a leading role in designing the EXP 100 GT concept and Mulliner Bacalar. Since last year, he has been directing overall brand design at electric vehicle company Faraday Future, including the development of the flagship electric vehicle FF91.
Director Buckingham said, “I am honored to join Kia, and I will collaborate with outstanding colleagues to well reflect the design philosophy ‘Opposites United’ in Kia’s upcoming exterior designs. I will strive to secure a new level of design capability.”
Earlier this year, Kia reorganized its structure and renamed the existing Kia Design Center to Kia Global Design Center. Under Vice President Karim Habib, the Kia Next Design Division led by Executive Director Kim Taek-gyun was established as the organization responsible for overall styling management.
Next-generation mobility design, including future electric vehicles, is supported in exterior styling by newly recruited Director Buckingham under the leadership of Executive Director Kim.
Executive Director Kim said, “Since the brand relaunch in 2021, Kia has successively introduced the EV6, EV9, and concept EV5, leading the EV market with innovative design and high product quality. We are actively promoting organizational restructuring and talent recruitment for continuous innovation. We expect Director John Buckingham, who has experience not only with premium brands but also startups, to make significant contributions to the Kia Global Design Center.”
Vice President Habib said, “We are pleased to have Director John Buckingham join Kia as we pursue a transition to a ‘Mobility Solution Provider’ for a sustainable future. Along with Executive Director Kim Taek-gyun, who oversees next-generation mobility design, the members of the Kia Global Design Center will lead Kia’s future with excellent design capabilities.”
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