Kia Canada has appointed Patrick Saint-Pierre as its new public relations manager.
A graduate of the Canadian Automotive Institute’s program at Barrie’s Georgian College, Saint-Pierre has 15 years of experience within the automotive industry.
He was most recently business development manager for Volkswagen of America, working out of Atlanta. He also worked as public relations manager for Volkswagen Canada between 2006-2008.
Saint-Pierre will oversee a four-person team at Kia, and said that social media will form a significant part of the automaker’s outreach.
“It is a continuously growing part of what we do,” he said. “It’s very important to make sure we have people engaged, and [social media] is one of the best ways to engage people that are either close to the brand or people just curious about the brand.”
Saint-Pierre said that the company’s emphasis this year will be on a new hybrid version of the Kia Optima, the redesigned Kia Sol, and a new model, the Kia Rio.
He said he was attracted to Kia because the company is “on a roll,” with vehicles boasting improved styling that also appeal to consumers’ desire for fuel efficiency.
