An astute businessman and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Nigeria, Jacky Hathiramani, has been crowned the Auto Personality of the Year in the 2021 edition of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association [NAJA] Awards held on Wednesday, December 1, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.
The Auto Personality of the Year (APOTY) is the main individual award in NAJA’s annual ceremony, which takes place at the end of every year. The winner is the auto company CEO, judged by the journalists and a public vote to have contributed the most to the development of the auto industry in Nigeria that year.
A keenly anticipated ceremony, NAJA Awards continue to be the auto industry’s barometer to measure the performance of companies, products and individuals in the sector.
This year’s edition was a special one as it was a combination of last year’s award, which couldn’t hold owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year’s.
The Kia Nigeria CEO earned the coveted award largely due to his company’s investments that have been contributing to the growth of the auto industry.
Highly respected amongst his contemporaries for his ingenuity, guests at the event acknowledged that the honour was a befitting one.
Hathiramani has been outstanding in leading the Kia brand to consistently roll out innovative products and services to the delight of the customers and industry stakeholders in the country. His company has continued to make impact on the industry which is in tandem with the Federal Government’s goal of economic diversification through local auto production.
Reacting to the honour, Hathiramani said: “This award is a testament of our resilience and commitment to nation-building and the economic development of Nigeria through the auto industry”.
“In order to excel and to be an integral part of the nation’s economy, a company like ours has to, through the years, continue to innovate, to improve, to find our strength, our niche, and to really dedicate ourselves to the development of the auto industry and the delivering of top-of-the-segments models in the industry aimed at developing the economy.
“This award is a validation of the company’s philosophy and our commitment to service.”