Gerry McGovern, the chief creative officer at British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reportedly made an abrupt exit from the company in a string of high-profile exits. McGovern was behind the controversial rebranding of Jaguar last year.
The veteran designer was sacked from the company, according to an Autocar India report. The JLR executive was “escorted out of the office”, the report said, citing sources.
HT.com could not independently verify the report and has reached out to Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors for comments. This report will be updated when they respond.
McGovern’s exit comes weeks after JLR’s parent company, Tata Motors, elevated PB Balaji, its chief financial officer (CFO) to the role of JLR’s chief executive officer (CEO). Balaji took over as JLR’s first Indian CEO in November after British executive Adrian Mardell retired.
(Also Read: Jaguar reveals sleek new concept car ‘Type 00’ weeks after confusing rebrand. Watch)
Who is Gerry McGover, JLR’s design chief who made abrupt exit?
McGovern was responsible for the creative direction and curation of Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.
He joined JLR’s board of directors in 2021 as well and was tasked with redefining the Jaguar brand.
McGovern’s “influence since returning to Land Rover in 2004 cannot be understated”, according to his profile on JLR’s website. The company says he has “embedded creativity into the very core of the business”.
McGovern was behind the design of Jaguar’s upcoming electric car called “Type 00″, which came in pink and electric blue colours.The design of the EVs is drastically different from the legacy image of Jaguars.
Before unveiling Type OO last year, Gerry McGovern led the Jaguar rebranding, in which the company changed Jaguar’s iconic leaping cat logo. It was seen as a ‘woke’ rebrand that was slammed by the likes of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
In an effort to reinvent itself as an electric vehicle maker, Jaguar underwent a glossy yet rather confusing rebrand that features a group of multiracial models in colourful techno-inspired clothing. The new campaign included a viral video which had androgynous models of different ethnicities posing in vibrant clothing.
“…Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER! The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil. Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad,” Donald Trump said in August 2024.
“Do you sell cars?” Elon Musk has said on X in November 2024.
What Gerry McGovern said on Jaguar’s ‘woke’ rebranding
“This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience,” McGovern had said last year.
