- Reports suggest Jaguar Land Rover fired design chief Gerry McGovern.
- He was the group’s Chief Creative Officer and has spent decades with JLR.
- His exit comes as Jaguar prepares for its highly anticipated relaunch.
Jaguar Land Rover has reportedly fired Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern in a major shakeup. Some reports even suggest he was “escorted out of the office,” which implies things were fraught.
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Details are hazy, but Autocar is reporting McGovern was given his walking papers on Monday. There’s no word on what sparked the dismissal and the automaker has refused to comment on the situation.
More: Jaguar Design Boss Denies “Sniffing The White Stuff” During Rebrand
However, the publication noted the move comes shortly after CEO Adrian Mardell retired and was replaced by PB Balaji. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Tata Motors, which has lead to speculation that Jaguar Land Rover’s owner is seeking greater control over the company.
We’ll likely learn more in the coming days, but the shakeup comes at a terrible time as Jaguar is about to be relaunched. The company’s production version of the electric GT that was teased through the Type 00 concept is expected to debut next year and cost around $130,000.
The model and rethink has proven controversial. Making matters worse, McGovern was “responsible for the creative direction and curation of the house of brands – Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.” As a result, he played a major role in Jaguar’s revamp.
A Long History In The Automotive Industry
McGovern received a degree in industrial design from Coventry University and went on to get a Masters from the Royal College of Art in London. He then began working at Chrysler, before stints at Peugeot and Rover.
The designer then left for Ford, before returning to Land Rover in 2004. Since then, he’s been credited with helping to reimagine the Defender as well as expanding the lineup with new models such as the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar.
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Sources: Autocar
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