Cole Named COO of Kia America

Kia Motors Corp. has appointed Michael Cole to be chief operating officer and executive vice president of its U.S. operations.

Cole succeeds Michael Sprague, who left Kia last month. Sprague joined Kia in 2008 after working for Ford Motor Co.

Cole had been COO of Kia Motors Europe since November 2012. During his tenure there, Kia Europe’s sales grew 40% to outpace the overall market’s 27% uptick.

In his new position, Cole will report to Kia Motors America CEO Sean Yoon. Cole will oversee all sales, marketing, service and corporate and product planning functions for the region.