James Felgate wins global gold at 2025 Kia service advisor competition

James Felgate of John Grose Kia in Lowestoft, has triumphed at the seventh annual Kia Service Advisor World Competition (SAWC), taking home the prestigious gold medal.

Held from 20–23 May at Kia’s Osan Education Center in Seoul, South Korea, the event brought together top-performing service advisors from 52 countries, each selected through rigorous national competitions.

Representing Kia UK, Felgate earned his place following a standout performance at the UK Skills Final, hosted at the Kia Academy in Derby earlier this year.

The competition put participants through a series of demanding assessments over two days, including a written exam on service processes, a practical vehicle handover roleplay, and a customer service simulation.

Felgate was crowned the overall winner, receiving the gold award from Ted Lee, executive vice president of Kia Corporation.

Speaking after his win, Felgate said: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to represent the UK and showcase my skills." In addition to the trophy, Felgate received a $5,000 USD prize for his first-place finish.

Chris Lear, after sales director at Kia UK, said: “James’ win demonstrates that Kia’s dealer partners and staff are truly leading the way in customer service. His dedication, professionalism, and passion have set a new benchmark. To compete against the best in the world and emerge as number one is a remarkable accomplishment. We’re incredibly proud of James and what this means for Kia UK.”

This marks the second time Kia UK has topped the global competition, having previously won the inaugural SAWC in 2019.