'It's untrue': Jaguar denies firing chief designer amid rebrand backlash
What's the story
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has denied reports of the termination of its long-serving design chief, Gerry McGovern. The denial came after media outlets including Autocar and Autocar India reported that McGovern had been "escorted out of the office" last week. A spokesperson for Jaguar told Motor1, "It is untrue we have terminated Gerry McGovern's employment and we do not intend to further comment on speculative stories."
Career highlights
McGovern's tenure and impact on Jaguar's design
Gerry McGovern has been with the Jaguar and Land Rover brands for 21 years, shaping some of their most iconic models. These include the Range Rover Evoque, Velar, Defender, and the new Range Rover. He also led the design team for the controversial Type 00 concept. Before joining JLR, McGovern worked at Austin Rover Group where he was behind concept cars like MG EX-E as well as popular production models such as MG F sports car and Land Rover Freelander.
New era
JLR's leadership transition
The news of McGovern's alleged exit came just days after former JLR CEO Adrian Mardell's retirement. PB Balaji, the new CEO, previously served as Tata Motors' finance head. With 32 years of experience, including over a decade at Tata Motors (JLR's parent company), Balaji could be looking to implement changes at JLR in light of the negative feedback surrounding Jaguar's recent rebrand.